Okinawa, Japan – The largest coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. International Army continues to grow. Japanese U.S. forces showed 36 troop infections on Japanese Okinawa on Wednesday, with a total of at least 136 since the U.S. military reported its first cases last week.
Until then, all of Okinawa had noticed that 148 showed cases of COVID-19 since February, and the Japanese government managed to involve the spread of the virus that causes the disease.
In a sign of growing tension between Japanese officials and the U.S. military in Okinawa, Defense Minister Taro Kono noted “several problems” with the U.S. reaction to the pandemic. In particular, he has avoided giving top points when he was pressured by journalists before this week.
Okinawa’s local media reported that the Fourth of July celebrations, whether on or off U.S. bases, attended by hundreds, if not thousands, may also be at least partially responsible. But medical experts warn that the virus would possibly have spread through several other vectors.
“The citizens of Okinawa are incredibly concerned” about the infection at U.S. Army bases, said Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki, who traveled to Tokyo on Wednesday for an assembly with Defense Minister Kono to voice his island’s grievances.
“We’re worried,” Kono told the governor. “We’ll take care of that.”
Nearly part of the 50,000 U.S. Army troops. In Japan they are stationed on Okinawa, a subtropical island called Hawaii of Japan with a domain of about one-third of the length of Rhode Island.
Among the Washington Army establishments, Okinawa has been described as america’s “cornerstone” in the Pacific. The island is closer to Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, than to Tokyo. It is a key point for Washington, whether it’s protecting Asian allies, adding Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and assigning U.S. force to respond to China’s increasingly competitive army movements in the region and to the North’s ever-present risk. Korea.
On Wednesday, at least some restrictions were imposed on five affected U.S. bases in Okinawa, and the two toughest were de facto blocked. All U.S. troops and their families on the island have been prohibited from leaving the base approved and prohibited from local restaurants and public transportation.
Stretching along a 25-mile stretch of road in southern Okinawa, U.S. services With coronavirus infections they showed Camp Kinser, Marine Corps Airbase Futenma, Marine Corps Airbase Kadena, Camp McTureous and Camp Hansen.
Futenma has maximum infections, with at least 71 cases shown with COVID-19. Kadena is located at the largest base in the United States in Asia. Both bases are less than five miles from the city of Chatan, a popular nightlife destination for American troops that has a domain called “American Village”, adapted to the tastes of infantry soldiers and tourists.
The region has been amid past crimes involving members of the U.S. service. And it’s been a thorn in the Okinawa prefecture government.
The coronavirus outbreak has only fueled that anger, which rose further with confirmation this week from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, on the Japanese mainland, that an American couple and their 10-year-old daughter had tested positive for the virus after arriving from the U.S.
The circle of relatives flew on a U.S. advertising flight to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Sunday and, like all other foreign arrivals, underwent COVID-19 testing. But before obtaining the effects of such tests, the circle of relatives would have boarded a domestic flight – as opposed to regulations prohibiting passengers new to public transport – from going to the maritime base.
Health officials are now rushing to locate and touch anyone who has ever been in touch with their travels.
Meanwhile, the Japanese capital raised its alert to the highest point imaginable after the average rate of new daily infections exceeded the number reached in April in a state of emergency.
Lucy Craft of CBS News in Tokyo contributed to this report.