Society

Suga says Go To Travel will continue despite virus resurgence

Nov 21 (Japan Today) - Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday the government will continue its Go To Travel domestic tourism promotion campaign despite growing worries about a resurgence of the coronavirus in Japan.

A day after the country logged a new record of 2,385 daily coronavirus infections, Suga said in parliament Japan should be on "maximum alert."

But he suggested he has no plans to scrap the Go To Travel program, saying, "We have been reviewing the program by listening to the opinions of experts and businesses involved. We will continue to operate it appropriately."

The daily nationwide tally rose as Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido and five other prefectures logged record-high figures. On Friday, the capital reported 522 new coronavirus cases, down from 534 cases the previous day but surpassing 500 for the second consecutive day.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a regular news conference the government does not believe the current situation calls for a state of emergency, saying government panel members share that view.

The Go To Travel subsidy program, which effectively covers half of a traveler's expenses, was launched in late July to support the tourism industry after it was severely affected by the pandemic.

So far, some 40 million trips have been covered by the scheme, with 176 users found to have been infected with the virus, according to the government.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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