Tokyo (AP) – Japan is prohibiting the entry of all non-alien foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus virus that is spread across the UK.
The Foreign Ministry says that the entry ban will start from Monday until 31 January.
Last week, Japan banned nonwhite foreigners arriving from Britain and South Africa, confirming the new version at seven in the past two days – five from Britain that tested positive at airports and two others in Tokyo Were in
Japan is suspending a 14-day quarantine exemption for Japanese nationals and foreign nationals in a short-track program beginning in November. Entrants must now proof a negative test 72 hours before they leave for Japan and disassociate themselves two weeks after arrival.
Japan has been battling surgeon cases since November. It has confirmed a total of 217,312 cases, including 3,700 to 3,213 deaths in the last 24-hour period. Despite calls by experts and government officials to spend the “quiet” holiday season alone, Tokyo alone reported 949 cases.
Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region:
– South Korea has decided not to immediately implement its strictest elimination rules in the greater Seoul region, despite an increase in coronovirus cases. Currently the area is under the second largest distance rules. Sanctions have been asked several times to raise them to the highest level, but the government is reluctant to do so due to concerns about the economy. Health Minister Kwon Deok-Chol said on Sunday the government would uphold the current sanctions in the Seoul region until January. 3. He said that the third highest level of regulations imposed in other regions would also remain in place until January 3. South Korea recorded an average of 999 new cases per day, with 690 in the Seoul region last week. Under current rules, night clubs, karaoke rooms, fitness centers, gyms and cram schools in the Seoul area have been suspended. As additional steps, officials last week banned social gatherings of more than five people and ordered the closure of ski resorts and other tourist spots. The most stringent restrictions would lead to the closure of hundreds more businesses and ordered companies to work all non-employees from home. South Korea has recorded 56,872 cases in total, including 808 deaths.
– Beijing officials reported five new locally dispatched coronovirus cases as authorities dispatched residents to conduct mass trials. Five cases involving earlier infections resided in the city’s Shunni district, which has since activated an emergency response plan, including large-scale testing, source tracing, and disinfection. As of Saturday afternoon, more than 120,000 coronoviruses had been tested. Authorities plan to test 800,000 people in the district. Separately, authorities reported four locally aired cases in the north-eastern port city of Dalia, where more than 4.75 million people were tested after more than 20 confirmed cases this month. China reported 22 new cases in the past 24 hours, including 10 imported and 12 domestic. China has so far registered a total of 86,955 cases, with 4,634 deaths.
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