Japan’s government says more than 50 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. Vaccine rollouts in the country began in mid-February, months behind many wealthy countries due to its lengthy clinical testing requirement and approval process. Inoculations for elderly patients, which started in April, were also slowed by supply shortages of imported vaccines, but the pace picked up in late May and has since achieved 1 million doses per day.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of Covid-19 measures, told NHK public television’s weekly talk show on Sunday that about 60 per cent of the population is expected to be fully vaccinated by the end of September, on par with current levels in Europe.