TOKYO, Jan 6, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi
urged his US counterpart Thursday to consider restricting American troop
movement in the country after a surge in Covid cases on bases and surrounding
communities.

   The request to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes as virus cases
surge in Okinawa, which hosts most of the US forces in Japan and is now
seeing a rise in community infections.

   The region's governor has blamed the rise in local cases on the clusters
first seen among US troops.

   Okinawa will request that the central government authorise new virus
restrictions, its governor said, after the southern island region reported
623 cases on Wednesday -- nearly triple the previous day's figure.

   In a call with Blinken, Hayashi "strongly requested the strengthening of
measures to prevent an expansion in infections", Japan's foreign ministry
said in a statement.

   Hayashi called on Blinken to "consider restricting outings (by US troops)
to ease worries among local residents, given the situation of coronavirus
infections among US forces in Japan", the statement added.

   There were more than 400 Covid cases reported on US bases in Okinawa on
January 4, Japan's government said Wednesday.

   Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki has criticised the US military for failing
to adhere to Japan's strict measures for overseas arrivals, and last month
Hayashi expressed "strong regret" to the commander of US forces in Japan over
the growing number of virus cases.

   Hayashi said then that the US military was not adhering with Japan's
policy of testing incoming travellers for the virus on arrival, and requiring
them to quarantine for two weeks.

   Since the complaint, US soldiers are now being tested within 24 hours of
arrival, according to Japan's government.

   Infections among US force members are not included in Okinawa's daily case
reports, although cases among local Japanese staff at US bases are.

   US bases in other parts of Japan have also reported a surge in infections
in recent weeks.

   Overall, Japan's infection rate remains comparatively low, with just over
2,600 cases reported nationwide on Wednesday. But the numbers are rising, and
Wednesday marked the first time that more than 2,000 cases have been reported
in Japan since October.

   The foreign ministry said Blinken acknowledged Hayashi's concerns and
promised to convey them to the US defence department.

   Hayashi and Blinken also "confirmed continuing close Japan-US cooperation"
on the issues of North Korea and Ukraine, the ministry said.

   "Blinken condemned (North Korea)'s ballistic missile launch and stressed
US commitment to the defence of Japan remains ironclad," the US Department of
State said in a statement.