Japan to Ban Entries of Foreigners over Omicron Variant

Tokyo, Nov. 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan will ban entries by foreigners arriving from around the world in principle as the new omicron strain of the novel coronavirus is spreading aboard, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday. The government will expand the COVID-19 entry ban to cover all countries and regions, effective from midnight Monday until the expiration date provisionally set for year-end. Entries by foreigners will be rejected except in cases in which there is a need for humanitarian or other consideration. The government will also tighten restrictions on the movements of people who return from abroad. "As an emergency precautionary measure to avoid the worst-case scenario, the ban on foreign nationals entering Japan will be expanded to cover the entire world," Kishida told reporters at the prime minister's office. Kishida sought understanding from the public, saying that the ban is "an extraordinary measure to be imposed until we get more information about the omicron variant." "I'm ready to take any blame" for the tough measure, Kishida said. The government will also lower the cap on the daily number of entrants to the country to 3,500, which was raised to 5,000 only just on Friday. On Nov. 8, the government opened borders for foreign business travelers, students and technical interns on an exceptional basis. But the measure was suspended from Sunday for arrivals from South Africa and eight other countries due to fears over omicron cases. Starting midnight Monday, the suspension will cover the entire world. The government also decided to freeze a measure to allow people returning to Japan to go to work from the fourth day from arrival under certain conditions. People returning to Japan from 23 countries and regions where the omicron variant is feared to spread will be required to be quarantined for fixed periods at facilities designated by the government. END