TOKYO (REUTERS) – Japan’s government may stop travel subsidies meant to boost regional economies and help hotels and airlines as concern grows that the tourism campaign may spread the coronavirus amid a fresh wave of infections, Nippon TV’s NEWS24 reported.

Any decisions to halt the “Go To Travel” campaign would represent a U-turn by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who until now has defended the subsidies as necessary to boost an economy hurt by a pandemic that has kept people at home.

Wary of growing public concern, Mr Suga’s administration is considering stopping the campaign for two months at year end and into the New Year, NEWS24 reported, citing unidentified sources.

A report this week from researchers at the University of Tokyo and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found a higher incidence of Covid-19 symptoms among people participating in the travel campaign compared with the general public.

Infection rates in Japan have reached new highs, with the capital Tokyo on Thursday (Dec 10) recording more than 600 new daily infections for the first time since the pandemic began.

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