Fumio Kishida, a former chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, announced Thursday his campaign platform for the LDP's upcoming presidential election, focusing on measures to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The LDP presidential election is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 17, with voting and ballot-counting on Sept. 29. Kishida, who has also served as foreign minister in the past, has already announced his candidacy.
At a press conference in the Diet Building, Kishida called for the establishment of a new government body, tentatively called the "health crisis management agency," that would respond to infectious diseases in an integrated manner.
He also pledged that the government would take the lead in setting up temporary medical facilities resembling field hospitals, to ensure that medical services are available to everyone who needs them.
The new agency would be set up as a permanent organization in the Cabinet Office to deal with public health crises, headed by a cabinet minister who will be newly appointed.
"In this age of infectious diseases, it is important to think about how to respond to crises and prepare for them in normal times," Kishida said.
He also called for the swift implementation of economic measures worth tens of trillions of yen. Kishida said he plans to provide further subsidies to help struggling businesses pay their rent and continue their operations, based on the scale of the business and without limitations as to region or industry.
Kishida also called for expanding the number of venues that offer free PCR testing without an appointment, as well as amending the relevant laws to give the central and local governments stronger authority in restricting people's movements and securing medical personnel.
"I will provide convincing explanations to gain the public's cooperation," Kishida said. "I will always manage crises by assuming the worst, instead of being optimistic and thinking 'things will probably get better.'"
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