Japanese Government: "Not Considering Suspension of 'Go To Travel'"

Local Media Reports Considering Suspension of GoTo Travel Citing Government Officials
Kato Katsunobu Chief Cabinet Secretary: "Not True"

▲Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Japanese government has denied reports that it is considering a temporary suspension of the domestic travel support program 'Go To Travel.'

At a regular press conference that day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu stated that the review of a full suspension of the Go To Travel program is "not true."

Earlier, the local private broadcaster news network NNN reported that the government had begun considering a plan to temporarily suspend Go To Travel for two months, including the year-end and New Year holidays, and to extend the implementation period by the length of the suspension.

NNN reported that the government received suggestions from a subcommittee meeting attended by infectious disease experts that day and would decide on measures regarding Go To Travel at the COVID-19 task force meeting on the 12th.

However, the subcommittee meeting held that day reportedly proposed extending the suspension of Go To Travel only in regions where COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing, rather than a full temporary suspension.

Travel departing from Osaka City in Osaka Prefecture and Sapporo City in Hokkaido has already been excluded from the Go To Travel program. Tokyo Metropolitan Government has requested that people aged 65 and older and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes refrain from using Go To Travel.

According to Kyodo News, the subcommittee did not mention adding any new regions to the Go To Travel suspension list that day.

The Japanese government appears to have no plans to fully suspend the Go To Travel program, which subsidizes part of domestic travel expenses with tax money, despite the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide led the Go To Travel program during his tenure as Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Meanwhile, according to NHK, 2,972 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed nationwide in Japan on the 10th, breaking the previous single-day record of 2,810 cases set on the 9th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.