Japanese administrative reform minister KONO Taro, who doubles as the vaccine minister that is in charge of coronavirus vaccinations, showed his eagerness to get people in the country vaccinated as soon as possible Tuesday.

“Today, we will start assessing the current situation. We will do our best to allow as many people as possible to receive vaccinations at an early date,” Kono told a press conference.

On Monday, Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide appointed  Kono, to coordinate preparations for delivering the vaccine.

“I want to hear opinions from not only government offices but also other related bodies,” Kono said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary KATO Katsunobu expressed his hope that Kono will “demonstrate his ability to coordinate beyond the boundaries of ministries and agencies.”

Digital transformation minister HIRAI Takuya said he plans to suggest Kono utilize My Number social security and taxation identification cards for the vaccine rollout in the country.

JIJI Press