UPDATE 1-Key Japanese ruling party official Kono hopes for March easing of border curbs

Japan's former vaccine czar and a key official of its ruling party, Taro Kono, hopes the nation's strict border curbs against coronavirus, which are the toughest among the Group of Seven wealthy nations, can be eased from March, he said on Thursday. Though briefly eased last year, the measures, which have massive support from the public, were tightened again from late November as the Omicron variant surged, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aiming to retain them until the end of February. “Let's hope that quarantine will be lifted on March 1,” said Kono, who was drafted in last year to run the vaccine programme but now heads public relations for Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.