U.S. military troops stationed in Japan will face a new line of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. Forces, Japan and the Government of Japan issued a joint statement on Sunday regarding the new COVID-19 restrictions for troops, the Associated Press reported. Among the restrictions, troops will be confined to base facilities and will also be subject to masking procedures.
The USFJ and the GOJ said in the statement how they both are taking the “rising number of COVID-19 cases throughout Japan” very “seriously.”
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This decision comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, and Minster of Defense Nobuo Kishi held the “2022 U.S.-Japan 2+2 Consultative Committee Meeting” on Jan. 7, Blinken confirmed in a post on Twitter.
Military members will face restrictions for 14 days beginning on Monday. Movement for troops outside of base facilities and areas will be “restricted to essential activities only.” Additionally, members will face a “mandatory masking policy” that applies “both on and off base” whenever they leave their homes.
“The United States and Japan are committed to working together to protect the health of the Japanese people and U.S. service members,” the joint statement said.
Today, @SecDef Austin, Foreign Minister Hayashi, and Defense Minister @KishiNobuo and I held the 2022 U.S.-Japan 2+2 Consultative Committee Meeting. Together, we will strengthen our alliance and address the toughest challenges of the 21st century. pic.twitter.com/oV0p4pMxPA
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 7, 2022
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To date, Japan has reported a total of 1,756,209 coronavirus-related cases, according to the New York Times coronavirus map and tracker. Japan has reported having a total of 18,398 deaths from coronavirus.
The country has also reported a daily average of around 3,351 cases, according to the NYT COVID tracker. This represents a 1,499% increase in cases from the last two weeks.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the U.S. Force Japan for a statement but did not receive a response.
