Japan Mulling Tighter Entry Restrictions

Tokyo, Dec. 22 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is considering strengthening its entry restrictions following the spread of a variant of the novel coronavirus in Britain and elsewhere in the world, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Tuesday. "We'll consider necessary steps, such as halting entry of short-term business travelers, quickly and make responses," Kato told a press conference. The new variant discovered in Britain has not been identified in Japan. Once it is brought to Japan, it would threaten to overwhelm the country's medical systems, a government source said. The threat of the variant may force the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to abandon efforts to relax restrictions to stage a return to normal economic activities, sources familiar with the situation said. Currently, Japan bans non-Japanese travelers from countries including Britain from entering Japan, except for spouses of Japanese nationals. When short-term Japanese business travelers and foreign residents in Japan reenter the country after their trips to countries such as Britain, they are exempted from 14-day quarantine under certain conditions. END