Japan denies entry to 5 foreigners staying in Hubei Province, China... Also begins development of rapid testing method

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 3rd, the Japanese government announced that it has banned the entry of five foreigners who have stayed in Hubei Province, China, known as the epicenter of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia). The Japanese government has, in principle, been refusing entry to foreigners who have stayed in Hubei Province within the past 14 days or who hold Chinese passports issued by Hubei Province since the 1st.

According to Nihon Keizai Shimbun and others, Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, stated at a regular briefing on the same day regarding the refusal of entry to foreigners with a record of staying in Hubei Province, which began on the 1st. Secretary Suga said, "We will make judgments considering various situations related to the novel coronavirus."

Along with this measure, the Japanese government is developing a new testing method that can quickly determine infection status. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the same day and announced that development of a rapid test kit to investigate novel coronavirus infection more quickly has already begun.

Prime Minister Abe said, "We will establish a system that allows private testing agencies to conduct tests currently performed by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and local public health institutes. Development of the rapid test kit has also already started." He added, "As domestic infection cases related to the novel coronavirus are spreading, it is a very important task to thoroughly conduct and expand domestic testing and consultations."

Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe emphasized the government’s organizational system for responding to viral infections, saying, "We want to continuously revise the risk management system for infectious diseases to further enhance our response capabilities." He stressed, "The situation is changing moment by moment. We will not hesitate to make decisions and implement measures prioritizing the protection of the lives and health of the people."

Meanwhile, Sankei Shimbun reported the previous day that the Japanese government is considering integrating new organizations to respond to the novel coronavirus. Multiple Japanese ruling party officials revealed that there is discussion about consolidating the two infectious disease countermeasure departments currently divided within the Cabinet Secretariat into a new organization overseen by the Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Currently, the Cabinet Secretariat has the "New Influenza Countermeasures Office" and the "International Infectious Disease Countermeasures Coordination Office." Sankei explained, "Infection countermeasures require close cooperation among related ministries such as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Ministry of Finance," and added, "They intend to unify the two departments to create a system that can directly command and control."

In addition, the Japanese government is also considering establishing expert meetings to monitor infectious disease trends worldwide, assess risks, and formulate early countermeasures to block the inflow of infectious diseases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.