Vaccines: Japan fears a delay in deliveries, the EU criticized
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during a press conference on February 2, 2021 in Tokyo.
AP - Rodrigo Reyes Marin
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Less than six months before the scheduled opening of the Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese government on Tuesday extended the state of emergency linked to the coronavirus in Tokyo and other regions of Japan.
The country has yet to announce a precise schedule for its vaccination campaign, and none of the vaccines available in Europe have yet been approved.
Japanese minister criticizes EU export controls.
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With our correspondent in Tokyo,
Frédéric Charles
Export controls by the European Union are preventing Japan from finalizing its procurement schedule, said Taro Kono, the minister responsible for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in Japan.
Last year, the Japanese authorities reached agreements with pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneka and Pfizer, among others, for the delivery of enough vaccines for its 126 million inhabitants.
AstraZeneka and Pfizer have large production centers in Europe.
On its own, AstraZeneka has pledged to deliver 30 million doses to Japan by the end of February.
But the production of these vaccines is behind schedule, prompting the European Union to adopt a measure allowing it, if necessary, to block the delivery of vaccines to Japan.
The vaccination campaign in the archipelago is due to start at the end of February, and Minister Taro Kono calls for the adoption of international rules to prevent "
countries from falling into vaccine nationalism
".
The Tokyo Olympics "
whatever happens
"
The stake is capital for Japan, which still refuses a new postponement due to Covid-19 or worse, an outright cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics scheduled in six months.
They will take place "
whatever happens
", whatever the evolution of the pandemic, guaranteed this Tuesday Yoshiro Mori, president of the Japanese Organizing Committee.
Yoshiro Mori's statements come as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday announced a one-month extension of the
state of emergency in the face of the pandemic
set up in early January in several departments of the country, including Tokyo and its large suburbs, for an initial period of one month.
In effect since early January, the state of emergency has helped reduce infections.
But more must be done, explained the head of government: “
The hospitalization rate will remain high for some time to come, which is why we must continue these measures.
Each of us must change the way we act if we are to contain the spread of the virus
.
"
The head of the Japanese government has promised to “
gradually
”
lift
the state of emergency in the departments where the situation is improving, “
without waiting
” on March 7.
He welcomed the "
decrease
" in the number of people with the coronavirus in Japan thanks to "
the reduction in restaurant opening hours
".
Torch relay
A tightening of the conditions of access to Japan for non-residents has already forced the postponement of several sporting events.
Among them, a synchronized swimming test event also serving as an Olympic qualifying tournament, postponed to early May when it was to be held in early March.
The Olympic torch relay across Japan is maintained and still has to start on March 25.
The highly anticipated next step, Wednesday, with the presentation by the organizers of the Tokyo Olympics of new details on their measures against the coronavirus.
Tough decisions on the number of spectators, going as far as possible closed doors, should be made in the spring.
It is therefore not impossible that for the first time in history, the Olympic Games, from July 23 to August 8, followed by the Paralympic Games, from August 24 to September 5, take place without spectators, or with a very large number. reduced.
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See also: Covid-19: a new variant in Japan being analyzed
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