Photo/Illutration A man receives a vaccine against the coronavirus at a mass vaccination site operated by the Self-Defense Forces in Osaka in February. (Pool)

The central government plans to offer discounts to event-goers who present proof they have had their third COVID-19 vaccination or tested negative for the virus, sources said.

The program is aimed at giving a boost to the live event industry, but is also intended to spur people into getting their booster shot by making it a requirement to get the discount.

As of April 6, less than 50 percent of those eligible to get their booster shot in Japan have gotten theirs--a concerning statistic as infections have rebounded in recent weeks.

Details of the program, such as when it will start and how long it will last, will be decided later and depend on the extent that the virus spreads, according to the sources.

The program will cover sports, theme parks, concerts, plays, exhibitions and other events.

A purchaser of an event ticket will get a 20-percent discount up to 2,000 yen ($16) per ticket, and can buy up to five tickets per purchase. But the program will not cover annual event passes.

Those who get the coupons must first present a certificate for having received a booster or proof of a negative result.

The planned program is expected to be the second such initiative aimed for the event industry, after the one that ended in late 2021.

The economy ministry set aside 38.8 billion yen to fund the project in the supplementary budget for fiscal 2021.

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