The Cabinet on Friday approved a bill to penalize hospitals that fail to abide by agreements with local governments to prepare beds for patients with COVID-19 and other infectious diseases and provide outpatient care.
The bill also calls for setting penalties for people entering Japan with suspected infections who fail to report their health conditions when in isolation. In addition, the state will be allowed to request or instruct business operators to produce or import vaccines and medical supplies such as face masks and needles.
The bill is part of efforts to enable the central and local governments to respond more swiftly to major infectious disease outbreaks after criticism that the country was too slow to ensure its medical system could effectively fight the coronavirus pandemic.