Japan drafts new amendments to legislation to curb pandemic

The Japanese government, led by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, has drafted amendments to current legislation that provide for stricter penalties for small businesses and residents who refuse to comply with regulations and rules designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Report informs citing the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

In particular, the amendments provide for large fines for restaurants that refuse to reduce working hours and criminal liability for citizens who refuse hospitalization after they have been diagnosed with coronavirus. The package of amendments has already been submitted to the National Diet of Japan (parliament).

However, opposition parties are strongly against the introduction of criminal liability for violators. The amendments are expected to be made during the parliamentary debate.

The epidemic situation in Japan began to deteriorate sharply in November 2020. The country has recorded 351,020 COVID cases since the pandemic onset. To date, 279,214 of those who contracted the virus have already recovered from the infection. The current death toll is 4,830.