Health

Japan tightens border measures, demands PCR test before entry

Tokyo, Jan 9 (efe-epa).- Japan has tightened its border measures and will require anyone who wants to enter the country to have a negative PCR on COVID-19 done 72 hours before their arrival, a requirement from which nationals and certain travelers were exempted.

Travelers will have to present a certificate from Jan. 13 until the end of the state of emergency declared this week in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures through Feb. 7.

Until now, nationals, travelers entering the country for business, students from eleven Asian and oceanic nations and regions that had reached a bilateral agreement, and countries that are not included in Japan’s migration veto over more than 150 territories were exempted from the measures.

While the new state of emergency in the archipelago lasts, anyone who wants to enter will have to present that test in the country of origin and take another test upon arrival in Japan, as explained by the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Japanese and residents of other nationalities who do not present the certificate will be transferred to quarantine facilities designated by the government and after three days they will be tested for COVID-19.

If the result is negative, they will be allowed to leave after installing the COVID-19 contact tracing mobile phone application developed by the government. They will then need to quarantine for two weeks from home, a measure effective Saturday.

This tightening of border measures comes after Japan further limited migration to the country and suspended the entry and issuance of new visas from around the world until at least Jan. 31 for new strains of COVID-19 detected in the United Kingdom and in South Africa. EFE-EPA

mra/lds

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