Okinawa’s Governor will raise the alert level and, “Unless there’s improvement, we have no choice but to request an extension of Spread Prevention.” (21ja22)

On 20 January, the Covid-19 Spread Prevention Headquarters held its meeting. The infection has spread widely across households affecting everyone from children to seniors. With the health care provision system under strain, the Headquarters decided to raise the disease spread level from the present level 2 (epidemic level) to level 3A.


As for the application of Covid-19 Spread Prevention Special Measure about to expire on 31 January, the Prefecture will soon hold a conference of medical experts and business leaders and have solidified a plan for discussions on extending the measures. Taking into consideration  the state of the contagion and opinions of concerned groups, an extension of the time limit of the measures will be requested from the National Government even as early as 24 January.


At a press conference held the same evening (20 January), Governor Denny Tamaki elaborated, “The spread of the disease exploded widely at the start of January. So, it had a huge effect on our health provision system. Unless there’s an improvement (according to our judgment criteria), we have no choice but to request the National Government to extend the Spread Prevention Special Measures.” The governor is considering a hearing on opinions from the Prefectural Disease Prevention Experts Committee and the Economic Group Committee between 21 and 23 January.


The infections continue to be widespread with the number of newly infected rising to 1,309 in the prefecture on 20 January. As for the Prefecture raising the alert level, there are plans to increase third time vaccinations and expand the examination system, open new establishments such as accommodation facilities and further strengthen other such counter-measures.


Moreover, the Japan-US mutual agreement that basically prevented US Military related personnel in Japan from leaving base is about to expire on 24 January. Facing that time limit, the Prefecture has issued a request to both the US and Japanese governments to extend the limit.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Thursday 20 January 2022 at 18:24. (21ja22)

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a857f75a53439230d7c05ed0aaf2d042c8f2391b


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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