Japan Denies Entry to Foreigners Who Stayed in Daegu and Cheongdo... Effective from 0:00 on the 27th (Comprehensive)

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] According to NHK and other broadcasters on the 26th, the Japanese government decided to refuse entry from 0:00 on the 27th to foreigners who have stayed in Daegu City and Cheongdo County, Gyeongbuk. This measure is to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and it is the first time that the Japanese government has designated regions outside China as restricted entry areas.

According to reports, the Japanese government held a meeting of the COVID-19 task force, headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on the same day and made this decision. The entry restriction applies to foreigners who visited Daegu and Cheongdo within two weeks prior to their application for entry into Japan, and it will be enforced from 0:00 on the 27th.

Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, responded, "It is essential to prevent infected individuals from entering Japan from areas where the infection is spreading." When asked about the possibility of dispatching charter flights to Korea, Secretary Suga replied, "The situation is different from that of Hubei Province in China, and currently, I do not believe that Japanese nationals in Daegu and Cheongdo are in a situation where they cannot leave of their own will."

The Japanese government is currently refusing entry to foreigners who have stayed in Hubei and Zhejiang provinces in China since the spread of COVID-19. NHK reported that foreigners who have stayed in these two regions within 14 days and foreigners holding passports issued in these regions are subject to entry refusal measures unless there are special circumstances.

Earlier, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its website that "In Korea, since February 19, cases of (COVID-19) infection have rapidly increased in Daegu Metropolitan City and Cheongdo County, Gyeongbuk, with 607 cases confirmed as of the 24th," and newly designated the infection risk information for these areas as 'Level 2.' Level 2 advises refraining from unnecessary visits.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of 10:30 a.m. on the 26th, 16 countries or regions including Hong Kong and Israel have implemented entry bans on Koreans.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abe recently requested the suspension, postponement, or scale reduction of large-scale sports and cultural events over the past two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He said, "Now is a very important time to end the spread early," and added, "Considering the high risk of large-scale infection at nationwide sports and cultural events, we are making this request."

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