Arab News Japan

TOKYO: An increasing number of coronavirus infections are being reported by the US military forces stationed in Japan, raising worries among Japanese that immediate measures are required to deal with the situation.

The spokeswoman for the American air base in Yokota announced Monday, July 20 that two cases of COVID-19 were detected on July 17 at the base. One of the base staff members who recently returned from the United States was infected and a postman working at the base was quarantined.

Health authorities are looking for those that had close contact with these people and the base post office was closed Friday to undergo decontamination procedures. It was opened again on Tuesday.

Base spokeswoman Kaori Matsutaka said customers of the post office are urged to follow protective measures against the spread of the virus.

US military authorities were encouraged by Japanese authorities to communicate their data on new cases of COVID-19 following the discovery of a cluster at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the Okinawan archipelago, which made for a total of more than 140 coronavirus cases on American bases in Japan.