Japan to open vaccination centres capable of handling 10,000 people: Report 

Japan government is planning to open large vaccination centres that can handle 10,000 people per day, said local media. These vaccination centres are being planned in Tokyo and Osaka in the coming weeks.

The Nikkei newspaper said on Sunday the government will open a vaccination site in central Tokyo as early as May

The paper said that the site will be open to anyone living and working in Tokyo. Medically trained staff from Japan's self defence forces will assist with vaccination.

While Japan has avoided an explosive spread of the virus experienced by many countries, the government has come under sharp criticism for its sluggish vaccination roll-out, which has been handled mostly by municipal authorities. Only about 1% of its population has been vaccinated, according to a Reuters tracker.

There has been a recent surge in infections. This has been driven by the spread of a variant has also stoked alarm and there is a critical shortage of medical staff and hospital beds in some areas.

Japan only started vaccinating its sizable elderly population this month and health experts say it may take till the winter or longer for most of the general populace to get access to shots.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Sunday if the government was able to secure enough vaccines to inoculate the elderly by the end of July, vaccinations for those under 65 could start that month, according to a Kyodo report.

Japan's third state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures began on Sunday, affecting nearly a quarter of the population as the country attempts to combat the surge in cases three months before the Tokyo Olympics is set to open.

Japan has had about 550,000 cases and 9,761 deaths to date.

(With inputs from agencies)