Japan agrees US military curbs to tackle Covid

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan and the US have reached ‘a basic agreement’ on banning the US military from leaving bases, amid growing concern about a sharp rise in Covid case. (Kyodo News/AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said the country has reached “a basic agreement” to impose restrictions on the US military amid growing concerns about a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.

Mr Kishida said American soldiers will stay on base “except when absolutely necessary”, which presumably means for emergencies or other security reasons.