Japan minister aims to control COVID while achieving growth

By YURI KAGEYAMA
AP Business Writer

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese minister assigned the task of containing COVID-19 while steering the world’s third largest economy toward growth says Japan must learn to coexist with the coronavirus. Daishiro Yamagiwa said Wednesday he is confident he can carry out that precarious “balancing act.” Japan had managed to cut new infections to very low levels last fall. But medical experts warn it should expect a surge of COVID infections in the next few weeks. Daily reported cases are totaling several thousand nationwide, roughly tripling from last week.