As Covid-19 from the contagion at US Military facilities widens its spread relentlessly, a sense of alarm heightens around Gotemba (Shizuoka Prefecture). (6ja22)

On 5 January, it became known that 27 people were newly infected with Covid-19 in the prefecture (Shizuoka). Moreover, the wide-spread infections at the US Military Camp Fuji in Gotemba  have not ceased. Up to now, 46 cases of infection have been confirmed there, further heightening the sense of alarm in the area.


The contagion is widespread among the American Military stationed in the prefecture as well. The American Military Camp Fuji in Gotemba reported 46  cases of contagion among its units as of 5 January. The Omicron strain was also confirmed there. The situation regionally and in the city of Gotemba is such. Gotemba Mayor Masami Katsumata notes, “Covid-19 is overwhelming wherever there are Marine bases: Okinawa, Iwakuni. My truly great worry is this situation where it is spreading widely in the blink of an eye.” 


At this point, the spread of the contagion keeps getting wider and wider from the areas that have American Military bases. On 5 January in Yamaguchi Prefecture, 104 new cases were found. Among them, 70 cases were counted from Iwakuni which has a base. 


However, the most serious is Okinawa. On 5 January its new Covid-19 cases topped 600. Eyes are focused intently on the response to Covid of the American Military as a cause of the wide-spread contagion. Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki noted, “I cannot help but say that the prevention strategies of the US Military and their system of managing the contagion have been shown to be insufficient. I will bear in mind my outrage!”


Such a state of affairs has begun in Gotemba. Local municipalities have implored the commander of Camp Fuji (Trans. note: Commanding Officer Marine Colonel Robert J. Bodisch), “Please, take thorough prevention measures, including confinement of troops to base!” But, the American Military has limited its off-base activity regulation to such as a prohibition on spending the night off base.


Mayor Masami Katsumata notes, “Within Camp Fuji, many don’t even know about the Japan Status of Forces Agreement. We’re at the stage where I stand my watch with a sense of extreme alarm. I can only pray that somehow or another the people of my city escape contagion.”


Original Japanese article: Shizuoka Broadcasting (SBS), published Wednesday 6 December 2022 at 19:52


https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b3e5658022cb33d10ce698a66364573c7cdab046



Translator’s note:

Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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