Japan to ease pandemic-related border controls from Sept. 7
2 years, 4 months ago

Japan to ease pandemic-related border controls from Sept. 7

LA Times  

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced plans Wednesday to ease border controls from early September by eliminating requirements for pre-departure coronavirus tests for arriving travelers who have received at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses, and to consider increasing daily entry caps as soon as next month. Kishida, after holding virtual meetings with government ministers and medical advisors earlier Wednesday, told reporters that, starting Sept. 7, entrants who have received at least one booster vaccine can waive the pre-entry test. “We plan to gradually ease border controls to allow entry procedures to be as smooth as those of other Group of 7 countries,” Kishida said from his official residence, where he has been on duty while isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus Sunday. “We will speed up our responses while balancing the infection measures and social and economic activities as much as possible.” Kishida said Japan plans to shorten the self-isolation period for COVID-19 patients from the current 10 days for those with symptoms and one week for those without symptoms.

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History of this topic

Japan to lift COVID-19 border controls before holiday week
1 year, 7 months ago

Japan to lift COVID-19 border controls before holiday week

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan will lift most of its coronavirus border controls, including a requirement that entrants show proof of three vaccinations or a pre-departure negative test, beginning Saturday as the country’s Golden Week holiday season begins and a large influx of foreign tourists is expected. All entrants with symptoms will still be required to take COVID-19 tests after arriving until …

Japan to lower COVID-19 to flu status, further easing rules
1 year, 11 months ago

Japan to lower COVID-19 to flu status, further easing rules

LA Times  

Commuters wear masks outside Tokyo Station on Friday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday announced plans to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to the equivalent of seasonal influenza in the spring, a move that would further relax mask wearing and other preventive measures as the country seeks to return to normality. A change would also remove self-isolation rules …

U.S. will require coronavirus testing for travelers from China
1 year, 11 months ago

U.S. will require coronavirus testing for travelers from China

LA Times  

The U.S. announced new coronavirus testing requirements Wednesday for all travelers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge in infections. But the CDC’s action may be less about stopping a new variant from crossing U.S. borders and more about increasing pressure on China to share more information, said Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at …

Japan to require COVID-19 tests for all visitors from China
1 year, 11 months ago

Japan to require COVID-19 tests for all visitors from China

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Tuesday that Japan will tighten border controls for COVID-19 by requiring tests for all visitors from China starting Friday as a temporary emergency measure against the surging infections there. “We have decided to take a temporary special measure to respond to the situation.” Despite widespread outbreaks that are straining medical resources and …

As COVID-hit China opens up to travel, others secure their doors
1 year, 11 months ago

As COVID-hit China opens up to travel, others secure their doors

Al Jazeera  

Japan joined India Tuesday in imposing restrictions on Chinese visitors as Beijing relaxed its norms for travellers. Japan will tighten border controls for COVID-19 by requiring tests for all visitors from China starting Friday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced, even as Beijing said it would scrap mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. The developments come days after the World Health Organization …

Companies welcome end to China quarantines for visitors
1 year, 11 months ago

Companies welcome end to China quarantines for visitors

LA Times  

China has ended COVID-19 curbs that confined millions of people to their homes, but hospitals have been flooded with patients. Companies welcomed China’s decision to end quarantines for travelers from abroad as an important step to revive slumping business activity while Japan on Tuesday announced restrictions on visitors from the country as infections surge. He said ending the quarantine “clears …

Tourists flock to Japan after pandemic border restrictions are lifted
2 years, 2 months ago

Tourists flock to Japan after pandemic border restrictions are lifted

LA Times  

Eager to admire colorful foliage, eat sushi and go shopping, droves of tourists from abroad began arriving in Japan on Tuesday with the end of pandemic border restrictions that had been in place for more than two years. That of course includes hopefully meeting new people, eating the food that I’ve missed, like good tonkatsu, being in nature at that …

Japan to loosen travel restrictions imposed during pandemic
2 years, 3 months ago

Japan to loosen travel restrictions imposed during pandemic

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Japan’s strict border restrictions will be loosened next month, the prime minister announced Thursday, allowing tourists to easily enter for the first time since the start of the pandemic. In a news conference at the foot of Central Park in New York, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said independent tourists would again be welcomed as of Oct. 11, …

Japan mulls scraping daily overseas arrival cap by October
2 years, 3 months ago

Japan mulls scraping daily overseas arrival cap by October

Hindustan Times  

Japan is making arrangements to end its daily limit on arrivals from overseas by October, and will consider removing other remaining barriers to foreign tourism at the same time, the Nikkei reported without saying where it obtained the information. Japan mulls scraping daily overseas arrival cap by October The removal of the 50,000 people-per-day cap alone won’t return Japan’s border …

Nation relaxes its rules for cross-border travelers
2 years, 3 months ago

Nation relaxes its rules for cross-border travelers

China Daily  

China's Customs authority said on Thursday that cross-border travelers will soon no longer need to report their COVID-19 nucleic acid test results, previous infection history and vaccination dates when going through Customs. The administration said inbound travelers will still need to provide negative test results before boarding, in line with the requirements of local foreign affairs authorities. The administration began …

Japan to ease COVID-19 border controls from Sept. 7
2 years, 4 months ago

Japan to ease COVID-19 border controls from Sept. 7

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced plans to ease border controls from early September by eliminating requirements for pre-departure COVID-19 tests for travelers who have received at least three vaccine doses, and he will also consider increasing daily entry caps as soon as next month. “We plan to gradually ease border controls to allow entry procedures …

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan on Friday eased its borders for foreign tourists and began accepting visa applications, but only for those on guided package tours who are willing to follow mask-wearing and other antivirus measures as the country cautiously tries to balance business and infection worries. The Japan Tourism Agency says tours are being accepted from 98 countries and regions, including …

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours

LA Times  

Japan on Friday eased its borders for foreign tourists and began accepting visa applications, but only for those on guided package tours who are willing to follow mask-wearing and other anti-COVID measures. As the country cautiously tries to balance business demands and infection concerns, the Japan Tourism Agency said tourist groups were being accepted from 98 countries and regions, including …

Japan, wary of foreign 'bad manners', cautiously eases borders to aid tourism
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan, wary of foreign 'bad manners', cautiously eases borders to aid tourism

Hindustan Times  

Japan's easing of a two-year ban on foreign tourists seeks to balance the enormous economic importance of tourism with concerns that travellers would trigger a Covid outbreak, insiders say. Japan, wary of foreign 'bad manners', cautiously eases borders to aid tourism Under the decision, Japan will allow in a limited number of foreign tourists on package tours starting June 10. …

Japan to resume tourism in June; only packaged tour for now
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan to resume tourism in June; only packaged tour for now

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists in June for the first time since imposing tight pandemic travel restrictions about two years ago, but only for package tours for now, the prime minister said Thursday. Beginning June 10, Japan will allow the entry of people on tours with fixed schedules and guides, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. …

Japan to ease border controls amid criticism as exclusionist
2 years, 10 months ago

Japan to ease border controls amid criticism as exclusionist

The Hindu  

Japan is set to announce easing of its strict border controls by increasing the daily quota for foreign arrivals and shortening the quarantine requirement beginning in March, following criticisms that the country’s policy is unscientific and xenophobic. Senior officials of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing party recently said they are considering raising the daily entry cap to 5,000 from the …

‘Living in standby’: Japan’s pandemic border policy keeps thousands in limbo
2 years, 10 months ago

‘Living in standby’: Japan’s pandemic border policy keeps thousands in limbo

LA Times  

Passengers walk through the check-in area of Narita International Airport outside Tokyo on Dec. 2. In Spain’s second-largest city, Barcelona, Laura Vieta stood outside the Japanese Consulate last week, holding up a sign that said: “Stop Japan’s Travel Ban.” “I gave up my job because I thought I was going to Japan in September,” said Vieta, 25, who wants to …

Japan extends strict border measures as coronavirus cases soar
2 years, 11 months ago

Japan extends strict border measures as coronavirus cases soar

Raw Story  

Japan will extend measures barring almost all new foreign arrivals until the end of February and reopen mass-vaccination centres as it battles an Omicron-fuelled coronavirus surge, the government said Tuesday. "We will keep the current border control policy until the end of February while taking necessary measures from a humanitarian viewpoint and considering the national interest," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio …

Japan’s travel ban spells anguish for foreigners, businesses
3 years ago

Japan’s travel ban spells anguish for foreigners, businesses

Al Jazeera  

Tokyo’s strict border controls to keep Omicron out are throwing travel plans into disarray. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described the restrictions as “temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for safety’s sake until there is clearer information about the Omicron variant.” The tough response has been praised by some pundits as Kishida’s most decisive move since taking office, offering the …

Japan to bar all foreign visitors over Omicron variant
3 years ago

Japan to bar all foreign visitors over Omicron variant

Al Jazeera  

Prime minister says the new rule, which goes beyond initial restrictions on arrivals from southern Africa, will take effect on Tuesday. Japan says it will bar the entry of all foreign visitors from around the world, just weeks after a softening of strict entry rules, following the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. “We will ban the …

Japan to expand COVID curbs amid ‘unprecedented’ surge in cases
3 years, 4 months ago

Japan to expand COVID curbs amid ‘unprecedented’ surge in cases

Al Jazeera  

Latest move will place more than 70 percent of Japan’s population under some sort of COVID-19 restrictions. “New infections are rising at an unprecedently fast pace,” Economic Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a panel of experts reviewing the proposal for expanded restrictions. “Not just in the national capital region, but starting with the Kansai region and northern Kanto region, the number …

Tokyo Olympics: Delegates' positive tests spur Japan panel's call for tougher border controls
3 years, 5 months ago

Tokyo Olympics: Delegates' positive tests spur Japan panel's call for tougher border controls

The Hindu  

With two members of the Ugandan delegation testing positive after arriving in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics that start on July 23, organisers are seeking to soothe public concerns that delegations may bring in and spread COVID-19. At a news conference on Monday, Yasuhiro Yamashita, the president of Japan's Olympic Committee, said it was impossible to completely shut out coronavirus …

Japan to lift emergency coronavirus measures as Covid-19 infections decline
3 years, 9 months ago

Japan to lift emergency coronavirus measures as Covid-19 infections decline

Hindustan Times  

The Japanese government will end a state of emergency in all but Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures at the end of this month, a week earlier than scheduled, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday. Japan to lift emergency coronavirus measures as Covid-19 infections decline Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu and Fukuoka prefectures will all see their emergency coronavirus measures lifted, …

Japan expands state of emergency and bans entry of foreign nationals as coronavirus as infections climb
3 years, 11 months ago

Japan expands state of emergency and bans entry of foreign nationals as coronavirus as infections climb

CNN  

Tokyo CNN — Japan will expand its state of emergency to seven more prefectures and ban all foreign nationals from entering the country, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday. “The government is basically asking people voluntarily to behave properly, but does not do more than that.” Speaking after the Tokyo emergency order, Satoshi Kamayachi, a physician and member of the …

Japan will ban entry to foreign nationals after Covid-19 variant detected in country
3 years, 11 months ago

Japan will ban entry to foreign nationals after Covid-19 variant detected in country

CNN  

CNN — Japan will ban foreign nationals from entering the country from Monday through the end of January after several cases of the new Covid-19 variant were recorded in the country, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The move came after the Tokyo metropolitan government on Saturday confirmed two new cases of Covid-19 variant involving people …

Japan bans new entries of foreigners after new Covid-19 variant arrives
3 years, 11 months ago

Japan bans new entries of foreigners after new Covid-19 variant arrives

India Today  

Japan on Saturday said it would temporarily ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering the country as it tightens its borders following the detection of a new, highly infectious variant of the coronavirus. The new variant has also been detected in a man who visited the UK and a family member - the first cases of infected people found outside airport …

Japan sees five new COVID strain cases, PM urges ‘quiet New Year’
4 years ago

Japan sees five new COVID strain cases, PM urges ‘quiet New Year’

Al Jazeera  

PM Yoshihide Suga calls for strict quarantine measures at airports and on those returning from the UK. Japan has confirmed its first five cases of the new, faster-spreading variant of the coronavirus in passengers arriving from the United Kingdom as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urges the nation to spend a “quiet New Year” period. The New Year period is an …

Countries once praised for their handling of coronavirus are struggling to deal with new outbreaks
4 years, 4 months ago

Countries once praised for their handling of coronavirus are struggling to deal with new outbreaks

CNN  

London CNN — They were looked upon as examples of how to deal with the coronavirus, hailed for their no-nonsense approach, their clear messaging, their slick test-and-trace regimes, and the resulting low infection and death rates. But despite these measures, Hong Kong has seen more than 1,000 new cases in recent weeks, and health officials have warned of a potential …

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