Suga Eyes Coronavirus Law Revision during Next Diet Session

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)--Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday expressed his wish to revise a law for the fight against the novel coronavirus during the next regular session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, from next month.

Suga called for such a revision during his talks with Hakubun Shimomura, chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council, Shimomura told reporters.

The government will accelerate work to draw up details of the revision to the special measures law, which stipulates government response to dangerous infectious diseases including new influenza and COVID-19.

The focus will be whether to set penalties for those who refuse to abide by authorities’ business suspension requests issued during a state of emergency.

Until now, the government planned to revise the law after the virus crisis settles down.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]