About the Prime Minister Overseas I was inspected like this October 29, 12:41

For the first time since the spread of the new coronavirus, the Prime Minister has decided to go abroad.

As a reporter, I have no choice but to keep up with this.

I thought it would be difficult overseas at this time, but it exceeded my expectations.

I will publish everything I saw and experienced.

(Political Department Reporter Minoru Hasegawa)

This trip is "only for one person"

I, Hasegawa, is a reporter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Club.

It is a "cap" that brings together four NHK reporters, and if the Prime Minister or the Minister goes abroad, the role is to accompany him ... but since he was in charge in August, he has had the opportunity to go even once due to the influence of Corona. There wasn't.

Meanwhile, on September 30th, I received an e-mail saying "Recruitment of reporters to accompany the Prime Minister."

If you look closely while thinking about whether the accompanying coverage will finally resume ...

"Please adjust so that

there is only one

pen reporter for each company, considering the restrictions due to the influence of the new coronavirus."

Only one person.

In the case of NHK, when the Prime Minister visits a foreign country, two or three reporters are accompanied by the reporter alone.

The prime minister's outing is packed with schedules such as talks with VIPs, lectures and speeches, talks with local business people and students, and inspections.

Considering that we can publish news quickly and also make relay reports, we cannot do it alone.

As far as I know, it will be the first time for me to be dispatched by myself.

"You should go" The

next day, my boss told

me

to dispatch.

Absolutely, I can't catch a cold

From there, the days of tension began.

It's been 17 days since I was ordered to be dispatched

by myself, "I can't get sick

."

Even if you have a cold nose, you may be denied boarding a government aircraft if you have a fever.

And just before departure, the first PCR test is waiting.

Of course, there is no subjective symptom of being infected.

No, but that's unreliable for the new corona illness, which some people are asymptomatic.

Even if you try to prevent infection, you can get a new corona and a cold, which is unavoidable.

Even if I think "I can't be blamed even if that happens", if I can't go to the site or get sick during the dispatch, NHK's coverage will definitely be affected.

Recently, I sometimes held meetings with interviewees and friends with a small number of people while taking measures to prevent infection, but I canceled almost all of them.

It's getting colder at night these days, so even though I thought it was a little hot, I wore a fleece and sneaked into the futon.

You shouldn't get sleep deprived, but it was hot and hard to fall asleep, which was a challenge.

Even if I live like that, when I wake up in the morning, sometimes I feel feverish and sometimes my throat is irritated.

Exhale relievedly, looking through the numbers on the thermometer.

Such days continued.

First PCR test

The first barrier, the PCR test, was booked in bulk by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and set on October 14, four days before departure.

Early that morning, I gathered at a medical institution in Tokyo with a reporter from another company.

After being handed a container for the sample, put it in a small private room.

Some people wore protective clothing, and when something like a cotton swab was passed through one of the nose holes, the test was completed in an incredibly short time.

Did it take a minute?

After that, I went to see a doctor in a separate room.

This is rather an interview.

I asked the doctor a question.

What I was most concerned about was "how positive is it?"

According to doctors, this medical institution has been conducting PCR tests on overseas travelers since July.

About 15 people per day, about 1000 people have been tested so far, but there were no positives.

IM a litte relieved.

"If the firm conducted a basic infection control, such as masks and hand washing, does not so easily infected. Please be careful in situations such as speaking for a long time face-to-face without the mask"

such advice I received it.

If the result of the test is positive, a call will come.

Detailed results will be notified at a later date, but if you do not contact us by 5 pm, you can consider it negative.

Return to the press club within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and wait for the time to pass with a prayerful feeling.

One hour left, 30 minutes left ... Do you feel like this since you took the exam or got a job?

5 pm.

There was no phone.

The juniors smiled and said "Congratulations", and the feeling of relief gradually spread.

However, it is still early to be relieved.

I just crossed the first hurdle.

What should the Prime Minister and his attendants do for inspection?

You must not bring the virus to the other country and you are not allowed to bring it back to Japan.

In Vietnam, the infection situation is relatively calm, but in Indonesia, the infection was widespread.

The government decided to narrow down the number of accompanying staff and bring medical officers to accompany them in case of unforeseen circumstances.

All the members, including Prime Minister Suga, underwent a PCR test before leaving Japan and an antigen test when returning to Japan, and as a general rule, they were prohibited from going out of the hotel except for official events.

Support for the new corona varies from country to country.

There were differences in the necessary measures between Vietnam and Indonesia.

Some officials, including Prime Minister Suga and the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and above, were exempted from the PCR test when entering Vietnam, but many of the attending staff and our reporters were required to perform the test when entering Vietnam. ..

I cleared it in Japan, but again ...

On the other hand, in Indonesia, there is no need for inspection at the time of entry because inspections have already been conducted before leaving Japan or in Vietnam.

However, the presidential palace where the summit meeting is held is strictly regulated, so the attendees of the meeting need to have another PCR test.

Only Prime Minister Suga and Mrs. Mariko were exempted from the diplomatic ritual.

We reporters were not allowed to enter the Presidential Palace, only one representative photographer was allowed.

Measures with "dense" government aircraft

Departure is Sunday, October 18th.

We gathered at the quiet international terminal of Haneda Airport around noon and were checked by a non-contact thermometer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff.

I was also told to bring my own thermometer, and I have to measure and declare it every morning.

Since commercial commercial aircraft are not in operation, everyone, including reporters, will board a government aircraft this time.

For this reason, the reporter's space allocated to the back seats is relatively "dense".

The Air Self-Defense Force operates the government aircraft, and all crew members are Self-Defense Force members.

I think it was difficult to take measures against infections on board during this visit to a foreign country.

I talked to Commander Shigeru Nakada of the Special Airlift Group, who is in charge, over the phone.

"In March, when the infection spread, we started training assuming measures against corona, and formulated a manual with reference to measures taken by airlines, etc. I was quite nervous if the crew was infected." The

crew face guarded on board. And masks were worn, and in-flight meal knives, forks, and squeezers were replaced with disposable ones.

He disinfected his uniforms frequently and changed his mask many times.

The magazine on the plane was removed because it was read around, and instead a mask and disinfectant were placed to make it an "infection control corner".

Prime Minister's "Greetings"

After takeoff, the aircraft will enter level flight and the seatbelt sign will disappear.

After a while, Prime Minister Suga wearing a flight jacket appeared in the press seat.

This is the customary "greetings".

This "greeting" was also held during the visit of former Prime Minister Abe to foreign countries, but Prime Minister Abe was relatively quick.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Suga slowly visited and gave a nod to each reporter.

Because it is a narrow cabin, you can see it at a close distance.

In his eyes, he seemed to be full of determination and tension for his first visit to a foreign country, and had a kind of unique power.

Well, I can't enjoy a relaxing flight.

It's already production from here.

The time spent on board is a precious time to prepare the manuscript.

Once you've arrived, you'll be overwhelmed by writing out information that rushes like a rage.

I concentrated on making the planned manuscript for the summit meeting.

Another important thing is to check the multi-tap brought from Japan, PC, mobile phone, and rental Wi-Fi.

I always have about 6 systems so that I can back up even if one of the batteries runs out or communication is lost.

Preparations such as charging such devices are not neglected.

"Second barrier" in Vietnam

Arrived in Vietnam after a flight of about 6 hours.

I went to the hotel by bus prepared by the local Japanese embassy.

When I was looking at the scenery of Hanoi city from the train window, I noticed that many people did not wear masks.

At first glance, only about 1 in 5 people wear masks.

I think it's because the infection situation is calm, but I also feel that it's okay, unlike Japan.

When I asked a correspondent of the Hanoi branch office, it was said that the Vietnamese government is taking thorough measures at the water's edge because there is a risk that the virus will spread quickly if it is brought into the city.

The bus on which the reporters boarded arrived at the back door of the hotel, which was the lodging facility.

The embassy staff who met there were dressed in protective clothing.

I was supposed to do a PCR test in one room in the hotel, and I was guided to the hall from the back door as it was.

There are five Vietnamese women in protective clothing in the inspection room, and two reporters are invited.

The examination was elaborate, with sample collection sticks stuck in both nose holes and saliva on the tongue and throat being wiped off.

From my experience in Japan, I thought that the results would come out relatively quickly, but I was told that I could not contact you unless I waited until early morning.

Until then, he was strictly ordered not to leave the room, and a lunch box prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was placed in front of the room.

I silently ate fried chicken.

The appearance and taste were not so different from Japanese bento, and I didn't feel "Vietnam".

After 6 am Japan time, I was notified by e-mail that all the accompanying reporters were negative and cleared the second barrier.

The summit meeting is not over!

The following day, the 19th, a summit meeting was held between Prime Minister Suga and Prime Minister Hook of Vietnam from 11:00 am Japan time.

Only the opening part will be open to the press, but only two reporters will be included.

Since the reporters of these two companies are representative interviewers, there is a rule that the attendees and the statements of both leaders must be written down and distributed for other companies.

As a result of the preliminary lottery, I and a Kyodo News reporter will be represented.

When the talks started, neither the Japanese side nor the Vietnamese side were wearing masks.

"If you go through the water's edge, it's okay,"

I started taking notes.

However, a problem occurred.

Prime Minister Hook's Japanese interpreter is not very good and his voice is quiet.

There were a lot of inaudible parts.

You have to distribute the notes early, but you can't make an inaccurate one.

The two of us listened to the IC recorder many times and confirmed the wording.

The memo was finally distributed, and after a while, the meeting was over and the door of the venue opened.

The two leaders slowly descend the stairs to the entrance hall, which is crowded with government officials and reporters.

A "joint press release" was held to announce the results of the talks side by side.

The press release ended around 0:40 pm Japan time.

I have to make it in time for the 2:00 pm news.

The manuscript must be delivered by about 1:30 at the latest, and there is not much time left.

It wouldn't be in time to go back to the hotel press center and start writing.

I wanted to start working on the manuscript right away on the bus that moved to the hotel, but Prime Minister Suga was still chatting with Prime Minister Hook even after the press release, and he couldn't move.

Reporters have no choice but to wait on the spot until the Prime Minister leaves the scene.

There is no space to sit, and I can't write a manuscript with this, and I can't check the wording of the press conference again.

Isn't it yet ... Prime Minister Hook's welcome to choosing Vietnam as his first visit is well communicated.

However, this is a jerky.

In the end, I was saved by being prepared for something like this.

I had a colleague wait at the broadcasting center in Shibuya, Tokyo, and watched the video of the press release sent from Hanoi in real time, and had the wording transcribed.

With that support, I managed to get the manuscript in time.

Coverage on YouTube in Indonesia!

??

The next day, I moved from Hanoi to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the next country I visited.

In Indonesia, the cumulative number of infected people has reached more than 360,000 as of October 20, which is more than triple that of Japan.

I have to be more careful about infection control ... I tightened my mind.

Compared to the measures taken by the Vietnamese government, I was more concerned about border measures.

First of all, as mentioned above, virus inspection is not required at the time of entry, but when you arrive at the hotel in the dormitory, you can freely use the restaurants and shops in the hotel.

There was no partition inside the press center in Vietnam.

However, the regulations of the presidential palace where the summit meeting was held were strict.

According to a person who accompanied him, the severity has increased since the infection of US President Donald Trump.

What was prepared for the reporters was YouTube.

At the press center in the hotel, there is no choice but to watch the video delivered by the Indonesian government.

At the summit meeting between Prime Minister Suga and President Joko Widodo, a transparent board was set between the Japanese side and the Indonesian side while wearing a mask.

Prime Minister Suga wears a traditional Indonesian batik mask.

It was purchased by a local embassy staff, and before leaving Japan, the Prime Minister himself chose a cloud painting from several.

It seems that it was generally well received by the local media.

In this interview, only one person was actually able to enter the palace and interview.

This is NHK's Yasuhiro Matsuzaki photographer, who became the representative of the video coverage.

It was just "only one person", so it looked like a lot.

Carry all the equipment such as a camera, tripod, battery, transmission equipment, and equipment that weighs about 30 kg inside.

When I came back after the interview, my whole body was soaked with sweat ...

What I saw in the last inspection was the yellow one

Arrived at Haneda Airport after completing a series of schedules.

The last virus test was waiting.

It is an antigen test.

Antigen tests have been considered to be less accurate, although they produce faster results than PCR tests.

However, due to the improvement in accuracy, it is being carried out instead of PCR at major airports such as Haneda Airport.

All you need for the test is saliva.

In a place like a voting booth at the time of an election, spit down to the designated line of the container and collect it.

At that booth was ... Lemon!

??

There was a big lemon picture on the front.

Imagine this, so that you can easily spit.

It's surreal ...

The test results came out in about two hours, and all the reporters were negative.

With this, we have successfully passed the virus test three times.

I finally felt that my shoulders were unloaded, and I lost my strength.

But the next moment, I thought I had to keep a record of this series of experiences.

I wrote this article at home

Partly because of the negatives, the bank's reporters were exempt from the government's special two-week quarantine.

However, NHK took a stricter response, and I will be quarantined at home until November 4.

I'm writing this article at home now.

It is undeniable that from October 1st, when the accompanying interview was decided, there were some restrictions and inconveniences in daily life and work, which put a considerable burden on the mind and body.

Under the roof, I wonder if all the reporters sent overseas under the current circumstances, such as the coverage of the US presidential election, are like that.

Nowadays, due to the evolution of equipment and technology, it is becoming an environment where you can watch the shot images in real time while you are in Tokyo.

The fact that you were shown YouTube in Indonesia is also symbolic, and you may think that it is no longer necessary to accompany you to the site.

However, there are certain things that can only be understood by going to the site.

I think that the significance of our reporters is that we can create an original article by feeling the atmosphere of the place, the facial expressions and behaviors of the leaders and related parties.

It was also an opportunity to reconsider how best to combine remote and real, and how to cover the corona virus.

Political

editor Minoru Hasegawa

Joined the station in 1998.

After working at the Tokushima Bureau, the political department.

Covered the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party, Ministry of Defense, etc.

There is also a desk at the Sendai station.

Cap in charge of Ministry of Foreign Affairs from August.