Japan’s lesson over virus management

Despite the possibility of a second wave of infections, Japan’s approach to tackling the coronavirus through “soft lockdowns” has been hailed as a key lesson for Thailand, a forum was told yesterday.

Kitti Prasirtsuk, Thammasat University’s vice-rector for international affairs, said Japan handled public fears relatively well by using only minimal lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus, but Thailand had failed to allay public concerns, particularly over the case of an infected Egyptian airman in Rayong.

“Japan declared a state of emergency briefly [in early April], but it was a voluntary thing, a legacy of the postWorld War II period. At the time, the US assisted Japan in reforming its law,” he told the virtual forum.

The event was held under the theme of “Japan’s future and its new normal” yesterday by Thammasat University’s Institute of East Asian Studies.

Assoc Prof Kitti said Japan has managed its “social capital” — a set of values that allow people to work towards a common goal — to cope with natural disasters, including the outbreak. For example, they are ready to comply with the government’s order to stay home and wear face masks.

“If the government had enforced a lockdown for too long, it would have made them want to go out and possibly spread the virus,” he said.

Despite the recent spike in coronavirus cases, he added that Japan is still handling the public health situation well. Tokyo reported 366 new infections yesterday after a single-day surge of 795 on Wednesday.

When asked about Japan’s post-outbreak foreign relations, Assoc Prof Kitti said while the prospect of hosting the Olympics next year hangs in the balance due to pandemic concerns, Japan and its neighbours will likely step up cooperation amid a rise of regionalism.

“Tokyo will continue to promote multilateralism, but the crisis will open up opportunities for those who can keep the coronavirus under control — Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam — to join hands, for example, in making travel bubble plans,” he said.