Jan 26 (NHK) - Lawmakers in Japan have begun debating proposals to toughen up COVID-19 regulations. That includes controversial revisions allowing authorities to levy fines against rulebreakers.
At a heated session, the Prime Minister called on Diet members to act swiftly. Suga Yoshihide said," I have to do everything to make the anti-virus measures more effective in curbing the spread of the virus. The government has been working on the necessary revisions to the law, taking into account individual rights, to set provisions for penalties and support."
The new laws would give greater power to prefectural governors. Businesses that don't follow requests to change their operating hours could be ordered to do so. Those that don't comply may face fines of up to about 5,000 dollars.
Governors could also require infected people to stay at designated facilities. If people refuse, they could be jailed for up to a year, or fined a maximum of about 10,000 dollars.
Under the revised quarantine law, officials would ask people arriving in Japan to self-quarantine for 14 days. Those who refuse may be told to stay in special facilities. If they don't, they could face up to a year in prison, or a maximum fine of about 10,000 dollars.
Opposition lawmakers voiced concerns. Ogawa Junya of Constitutional Democratic Party said, "Now, many people can't be admitted to the hospital, so they stay at home without getting treatment, fearful of what could happen. Many people are dying at home right now and you want us to debate jail terms? It's outrageous."
Suga reiterated the need to strengthen the rules. Suga said, "I was briefed about cases in which Covid patients leave hospital without getting clearance. The National Governors' Association also proposed the implementation of penalties. Based on this situation, I would like to introduce penalties in order to make the measures more effective."
When asked about the timeline, Suga said that the government aims to secure enough vaccine doses for all Japanese nationals by June this year.
At one point, attention focused on Suga's own health as his voice didn't sound like it normally does. He said, "Thank you for your concern. I just have a sore throat and my voice didn't sound right. But I'm fine."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said that Suga's ability to carry out official duties hasn't been affected and necessary tests are being conducted.
Members of the main ruling and opposition parties will negotiate the proposed revisions for the next two days. They will focus on five points concerning penalties and jail terms. The outcome of those talks will be presented to the lower house later this week.
