Tokyo’s concerns over a COVID-19 outbreak at U.S. military bases in the country have grown after Defense Minister Taro Kono revealed that three individuals linked to a base in Yamaguchi Prefecture who later tested positive for the virus had lied about their travel plans after entering the country.
The three, who media reports said were a U.S. couple in their 40s and their daughter, under 10, flew into Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from the United States on Sunday. After taking polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at the airport, they told authorities that they would rent a car for their journey to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, but instead flew commercially to Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport on Monday before the test results became available — despite military guidelines prohibiting them from using public transportation.
"It's an extremely disappointing situation,” Kono said. “We have requested the U.S. side dole out a strict punishment and prevent a recurrence of this."