TOKYO: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan agreed Thursday to get a planned bill for the fight against the new coronavirus through the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, on March 12.

The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the ruling camp aim for approval by the House of Councilors, the upper chamber, on March 13 to enact the legislation, which will call for revising an existing law on responding to new types of influenza to cover COVID-19.

The deal was reached at a meeting between LDP parliamentary affairs chief Hiroshi Moriyama and his CDPJ counterpart, Jun Azumi.

The ruling and opposition camps are "sharing the intention to enact the legislation soon," Moriyama told reporters after the meeting.

"We aim for its early enactment, with cooperation from opposition parties," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference.

The government plans to adopt the bill at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday and submit it to parliament. The Lower House Cabinet Committee is expected to meet on the bill on Wednesday.

"The situation is now urgent," Azumi told reporters after meeting with his counterparts from other opposition parties.

Meanwhile, Keiji Kokuta of the Japanese Communist Party called for careful deliberations on the bill.

JIJI Press