岸田首相、コロナ「楽観できない」　経口治療薬、開発を支援―歳費法改正に前向き

　参院は１３日午前、岸田文雄首相の所信表明演説に対する各党代表質問を本会議で行った。新型コロナウイルスの感染状況について、首相は「足元では感染者数は落ち着いているが、楽観はできない」との認識を示した。国産の経口治療薬の研究開発を積極的に支援する考えも表明した。公明党の山口那津男代表への答弁。
　首相は「感染が落ち着いている今こそさまざまな事態を想定し、徹底的に安心確保に取り組む」と強調。コロナ対策の全体像の骨格を示すよう今週中に指示すると明らかにした。日本維新の会の片山虎之助共同代表への答弁。
　山口氏は「政治とカネ」の問題を取り上げ、当選無効となった国会議員に歳費返還を義務付ける法改正の速やかな実現を求めた。首相は「自民党総裁として党内で議論が進むよう促したい」と述べた。（2021/10/13-12:32）

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that he does not adopt an optimistic view on Japan's novel coronavirus situation.
   "Although the number of new COVID-19 infection cases has been on the fall recently, we should not be optimistic" about the situation, Kishida said at a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
   He also said that the government will actively back research and development of Japan-made oral COVID-19 treatments.
   Kishida made these remarks in response to questions by Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner, during the third and final day of question-and-answer sessions attended by representatives of the ruling and opposition parties. The sessions are focused on Kishida's first policy speech as the country's leader delivered before the Diet last week.
   "Now that the coronavirus situation has calmed down, we will prepare for many kinds of possible scenarios and work on ensuring the security of the people," Kishida said in answering questions from Toranosuke Katayama, co-leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party).