Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Friday held a meeting to discuss introducing harsher punishments for violators of coronavirus rules as the country sees a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths, media reported.According to the Kyodo news agency, the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga earlier floated a revision of infectious disease law to crack down on flouters of restrictions measures.
The ministry held the discussion before the revisions are set to be forwarded to the country's legislature, the National Diet, next week.The health officials largely approved the rules proposed by the Suga government: those refusing to be hospitalized would face a maximum fine of 1 million yen ($ 9,600) or a prison sentence of up to one.