Defense Minister Taro Kono blasted the U.S. military’s handling of recent COVID-19 infections at their bases and was particularly incensed at a cluster incident, calling it an "extremely alarming situation."

Kono, in a July 14 news conference, singled out an incident involving three Americans living in the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Prefectural authorities confirmed the same day that the three, a family of military personnel, arrived from the United States at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on July 12.

They were required to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at the airport’s quarantine station and asked to stay near the airport until the results came back.

But, after spending the night at a local hotel, they boarded a domestic commercial flight the following morning to report to base.

Their test results, all positive for the novel coronavirus, came back that afternoon.

Upon their arrival in Japan, the three agreed not to use public transportation to reach the base and flagrantly lied to the officers that they would rent a car for the purpose.

“It was a false declaration,” Kono fumed, adding that he will demand the military to take preventive measures.

In Okinawa Prefecture, the number of U.S. military personnel infected with the virus has skyrocketed in the past week.

“We’ve learned there are some flaws” in the military’s handling of the pandemic, Kono said.

It was the first time for the Japanese government to take issue with the U.S. military's lack of preparedness in tackling the health crisis.

Military officials have acknowledged cases in which personnel did not follow social distancing protocols, such as engaging in potentially risky behavior by attending beach parties.

A Foreign Ministry official urged the U.S. military to take strict measures in such instances “if it is deemed to be a disciplinary incident.”

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a news conference that the ministry on July 11 and 14 formally asked the military to “take strict and thorough measures to prevent the virus from spreading and share the information closely with (the Japanese government).”

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki flew to Tokyo on July 15 to call on the central government and U.S. Embassy to share all such relevant information with prefectural authorities, particularly with regard to the coming and going of those found to be infected so routes of infection can be traced.

A Foreign Ministry official insisted that “such information has been provided to the prefectural health center.”

But Tamaki is far from satisfied.

A group of opposition lawmakers who met to discuss issues related to U.S. bases in Japan also expressed alarm at the situation.

“Information and trace routes of infected people have not been disclosed. It will add another burden on the shoulders of Okinawans in their fight against the pandemic,” the group said. The members requested Motegi to call for full disclosure of what is going on at U.S. bases.

The United States is among numerous countries for which entry restrictions to Japan remain in force. However, U.S. military personnel are exempt because of the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement.

When a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa Prefecture enters Japan, he or she is asked to self-isolate and stay at a hotel run by a private company outside the base.

Local residents are critical of such special treatment out of public health concerns and have repeatedly asked why such individuals cannot be quarantined inside a base.

U.S. Marine authorities offered assurances to the prefectural and local governments on July 14 that they will end the use of private hotels for such self-isolation upon entry by the end of this week.

On June 30, local governments learned that the military is using private hotels outside the bases as a precautionary measure after military personnel enter Japan.

Military authorities insisted that they were unable to accommodate all such personnel inside the bases.

However, they did not disclose details such as the number of people using hotels.

Local governments took umbrage to decisions taken by the U.S. military that “make residents worried.”

Military officials on July 14 invited Japanese central and local government officials to a hotel to explain measures being taken to monitor such personnel around the clock, including a ban on them leaving the hotel.

They said the measures were taken to ensure that hotel workers do not come into contact with such personnel.

“We are relieved that self-isolation outside the bases is due to end shortly,” said a local government official. 

(This article was written by Hideki Kitami, Daizo Teramoto, Mika Kuniyoshi and Shinichi Fujiwara.)