Japan to centralize pandemic response under new agency

Kishida aims to unify organizations as he weighs creating a 'Japanese CDC'

20220614 Tokyo coronavirus

Tokyo's Shinagawa Station. With COVID-19 refusing to peter out, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is moving to better contain future outbreaks. © Reuters

Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- With COVID-19 still lingering, Japan's government is set to establish an infectious disease crisis management agency in the Cabinet Secretariat to prepare for medical and public health crises.

The organization will centralize work under the direct control of the prime minister, clarify the chain of command and strengthen response capabilities. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce the new agency on Wednesday.

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