Japan Discovers More Omicron Cases... Tightens Entry Controls for Its Citizens (Comprehensive)

On the 30th of last month, the first day the Japanese government strengthened entry restrictions to block the influx of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, an official wearing a mask is working at the security checkpoint of Narita International Airport located in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, the gateway to the Tokyo metropolitan area.

A second case of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron infection has been reported in Japan. The Japanese government has stepped up border controls, requesting airlines not to accept new reservations for flights to Japan.

Local FNN broadcast reported on the 1st, citing government officials, that the second Omicron infection case was confirmed in Japan.

Kyodo News reported that the second infected person is a foreign national who entered Japan from Peru on the 29th of last month.

In Japan, the first case of Omicron infection was confirmed the previous day in a male diplomat in his 30s from Namibia who arrived at Narita Airport on the 28th of last month.

This diplomat, who entered Japan via Incheon International Airport to Narita Airport, tested positive for COVID-19 during airport quarantine, and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan conducted genome analysis confirming the Omicron infection.

Entry restrictions, justified by quarantine measures, are expected to be further strengthened.

The Japanese government, following the entry of the Namibian male infected with Omicron, has, from the 2nd, in principle banned re-entry of foreigners from 10 countries in the Southern Africa region including Namibia.

Re-entry refers to foreigners who have a status of residence (visa) allowing them to stay in Japan and are entering Japan again.

At a press conference that day, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, explained, "From a preventive perspective, we have decided to refuse not only new entries of foreigners from the relevant countries but also re-entry of foreigners with residence status unless there are special circumstances for the time being."

Earlier, the Japanese government banned new entries of foreigners from nine Southern African countries including South Africa from the 28th of last month to block the inflow of Omicron, and from the previous day, it has, in principle, refused new entries of foreigners from all over the world.

◆Japan takes the strongest measure by "suspending all flights to Japan including for its own citizens"= Furthermore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan requested airlines on the 29th of last month not to accept new reservations for all international flights destined for Japan until the end of December. This effectively makes it difficult for Japanese nationals currently abroad to enter Japan until the end of this month.

According to NHK, as a measure to prevent the inflow of Omicron, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism requested airlines not to accept new reservations for all international flights destined for Japan until the end of December.

Accordingly, Japan’s two major airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines, have suspended the sale of tickets for these flights starting today. Even Japanese nationals staying overseas who have not secured tickets by the previous day will be unable to enter Japan.

NHK reported that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism stated that the inability of overseas Japanese nationals who have not yet booked tickets to return within this year is an unavoidable preventive measure in response to the state of emergency.

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