Two US Marine bases in Japan's Okinawa have been put into lockdown after dozens of coronavirus infections, with local officials criticising the American military's containment efforts, AFP reported.

There are tens of thousands of US servicemen stationed on the southern Japanese island, which has recorded roughly 150 civilian Covid-19 infections.

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said that 62 cases have been detected in recent days in US forces, most of them at US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and Camp Hansen.

In response to the outbreak, almost all off-base travel has been halted, according to guidelines posted on the Marine Corps Installation Pacific Facebook page. Marine Corps service members, dependents, and civilians can move freely on the base but require permission to leave, including for medical appointments.