Coronavirus: Japan expands daily arrival cap to 20,000, eliminates most Covid tests in bid to revive tourism
- Japan doubled its cap on daily arrivals to the country to 20,000 and allowed most to forgo Covid-19 tests and quarantine periods as it eases its border controls
- In November, Japan banned entries by foreigners, but has gradually eased restrictions as vaccination rates rise and countries resume international travel
Japan on Wednesday doubled its cap on daily arrivals to the country to 20,000 and allowed most to forgo Covid-19 tests and quarantine periods as it continues to ease its strict border controls amid receding worries about the pandemic.
The country exempted travellers from having to isolate and submit to Covid-19 testing upon entry when their journey originated from 98 countries and regions designated as “blue,” presenting the lowest risk of infection, including the United States, Britain, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.
People from the “yellow” group, including Vietnam, India and Brunei, also do not have to go through testing or isolation as long as they have completed three rounds of designated Covid vaccinations, meaning some 80 per cent of entrants are exempted.
Those from yellow countries without proof of vaccinations as well as people arriving from the “red” group of Pakistan, Fiji, Albania and Sierra Leone will not be exempted.
The loosening of restrictions comes as Japan seeks to simplify entry requirements for foreign visitors to match other Group of Seven major developed nations after coming under fire at home and abroad for its tough border controls.