TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says he plans to submit legislation that will make coronavirus measures legally binding for businesses, punish violators and include economic compensation as his government struggles to slow the ongoing upsurge. Suga said experts are discussing the legislation to make coronavirus more effectively enforced and hoped to submit the bill for parliamentary approval “as soon as possible” next year. Japan is barring entry of all non-resident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious variant, from Monday through January 31. Suga’s government has been unable to slow the ongoing upsurge of the infections despite his requests for basic preventive measures. Japan has 220,236 cases, with 3,252 deaths as of Sunday, the health ministry said.

Source: Manila Times December 28, 2020 03:56 UTC