Japanese officials confirmed 16 Omicron infections on Friday, bringing total cases of the variant to 50. The government is considering extending strict border controls to protect the country from Omicron.
One of the latest cases is a Japanese man working at a US Marine Corp base in the southern prefecture of Okinawa.
Around 100 coronavirus infections have been reported recently at Camp Hansen.
Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny said, "We've asked the US Marine Corps in Japan to conduct genomic analysis, and temporarily stop personnel at Camp Hansen from leaving the base."
Two other Omicron cases are in Tokyo.
One man returned from the United States on December 11. He developed symptoms while isolating at home.
The other was in close contact with an infected person who also returned from the US earlier this month. That man went to watch a soccer match at a stadium near Tokyo on Sunday.
Officials are asking about 80 people who were near him at the game to take a virus test.
Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko is calling on the central government to require everyone entering Japan to quarantine at designated facilities until tests can confirm they are not infected with the Omicron variant.
She said, "I believe that tightening quarantine measures is the best approach that Japan can take at the moment to protect its people from Omicron."
Government officials are considering extending Japan's tough border restrictions into next month and beyond. The country has effectively banned new entry of all foreign nationals and added stricter quarantine rules for anyone returning from countries with confirmed Omicron cases.
The government also plans to speed up the rollout of vaccine booster shots.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, "After seeking input from experts, we will make use of the Moderna vaccine, which was approved for use as a booster on Thursday, to allow about 31 million medical workers and elderly people to get their third doses earlier than the basic interval of 8 months after their second shots."
He added the government plans to make oral drugs for the coronavirus available by the end of the month.
Authorities across Japan confirmed 183 infections on Friday. There were no deaths.
Tokyo reported 20 new cases. The daily tally in the capital has been below 50 for more than two months.
One of the latest cases is a Japanese man working at a US Marine Corp base in the southern prefecture of Okinawa.
Around 100 coronavirus infections have been reported recently at Camp Hansen.
Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny said, "We've asked the US Marine Corps in Japan to conduct genomic analysis, and temporarily stop personnel at Camp Hansen from leaving the base."
Two other Omicron cases are in Tokyo.
One man returned from the United States on December 11. He developed symptoms while isolating at home.
The other was in close contact with an infected person who also returned from the US earlier this month. That man went to watch a soccer match at a stadium near Tokyo on Sunday.
Officials are asking about 80 people who were near him at the game to take a virus test.
Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko is calling on the central government to require everyone entering Japan to quarantine at designated facilities until tests can confirm they are not infected with the Omicron variant.
She said, "I believe that tightening quarantine measures is the best approach that Japan can take at the moment to protect its people from Omicron."
Government officials are considering extending Japan's tough border restrictions into next month and beyond. The country has effectively banned new entry of all foreign nationals and added stricter quarantine rules for anyone returning from countries with confirmed Omicron cases.
The government also plans to speed up the rollout of vaccine booster shots.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, "After seeking input from experts, we will make use of the Moderna vaccine, which was approved for use as a booster on Thursday, to allow about 31 million medical workers and elderly people to get their third doses earlier than the basic interval of 8 months after their second shots."
He added the government plans to make oral drugs for the coronavirus available by the end of the month.
Authorities across Japan confirmed 183 infections on Friday. There were no deaths.
Tokyo reported 20 new cases. The daily tally in the capital has been below 50 for more than two months.
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Summary
50 confirmed Omicron cases in Japan; latest infections linked to US Marine Corp base in Okinawa, with around 100 COVID-19 cases reported at Camp Hansen. Governor Denny asked US Marine Corps to conduct genomic analysis and halt personnel from leaving the base. Two other Omicron cases identified in