Life & Leisure

Japan to require masks, health insurance ahead of reopening to foreigners

Tokyo, Jun 7 (EFE).- The Japanese government on Tuesday presented its latest guidelines for tourists to follow before the country reopens to foreign visitors on June 10.

Japan has kept its borders almost entirely closed to foreign travelers since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in early 2020.

From Friday, Japan will allow the arrival of some tourists in a tightly controlled framework that will be limited in principle to organized groups from 98 countries in its “blue category”, namely those considered to be of lower health risk.

Tourists will only be allowed to enter the country through travel agencies registered in Japan, which will process their visas and act as guarantors during the trip.

Those who travel to Japan from Friday must wear masks at all times, as well as disinfect their hands and take out health insurance before their trip, the Japanese government said.

If a foreign tourist tests positive, they will be isolated from their traveling party along with their close contacts and will receive medical care until they leave the country. These measures would also be applied to those who break the rules.

Tourist agencies will have to choose sites that comply with all the necessary prevention measures and hotels will also have to show guidelines for their guests to follow in different languages, according to guidelines presented on Tuesday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The archipelago banned the entry of non-residents in 2020, but since March of this year has been gradually easing restrictions as vaccine rates progressed and other countries resumed international travel.

On June 1, the country also doubled its daily entry quota to 20,000 people. EFE

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