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TOKYO: Japan said on Saturday (December 26) that it would temporarily ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering the country as it narrows its borders following the detection of a highly infectious new variant of the coronavirus.
The ban will take effect on Monday and run through January, the government said in an emailed statement.
Japanese nationals and foreign residents will be allowed to enter, but must show proof of a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before leaving for Japan and must remain in quarantine for two weeks after arrival, according to the statement.
Japan on Friday reported its first cases of a rapidly spreading variant in passengers arriving from Britain. The new variant was also detected in a man visiting the UK and a family member, the first cases of infected people to be found outside of airport controls, Nippon TV reported on Saturday.
READ: Suga from Japan urges citizens to have a quiet and detached New Year
The new strain adds to concerns about an increase in cases, as Tokyo reported another record increase on Saturday.
Infections of the virus that causes COVID-19 hit a record 949 in the capital just as Japan approaches the New Year holidays that normally see people streaming from the capital to the provinces.
Severe cases were unchanged from the previous day in 81.
READ: Japan panel says people 65 and older should get COVID-19 vaccine priority
Tokyo’s transportation hubs were controlled, local media said, a day after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, under pressure as cases continue to rise, urged the nation to stay home and avoid social mixing.
With New Year’s celebrations centered on family gatherings and mass visits to temples and shrines, experts warned that public restraint will be essential to prevent infection rates from spiking further amid concerns over pandemic fatigue.
Suga’s initial political honeymoon after taking office in September ended, and his popularity waned after criticism that he was slow to react to rising infections in Tokyo and for attending a group steak dinner in defiance of their own calls for caution.
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