Outbreaks at U.S. Military Bases Add to Japan’s Virus Worries
- Okinawa sees spike in cases connected to American troops
- Local governor expresses doubts about U.S. virus controls
Camp Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture.
Photographer: Toru Yamanaka/AFP via Getty Images
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Coronavirus clusters at military bases in Okinawa are causing fresh strains between Japan and the U.S., with Tokyo questioning if American service personnel are dodging local rules and causing infections to spread.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was expected to address the matter at a news conference Thursday, a day after Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki asked for measures to control outbreaks in a letter to Defense Minister Taro Kono. Those requests included halting transfers of U.S. personnel to the southern island prefecture.