Japan doubles the daily arrival cap to 20,000 as Covid cases reduce

Japan has recently doubled the cap for everyday arrivals to 20,000 and authorized people to bypass covid-19 tests and isolation periods. These changes come as the country is constantly easing its strict border regulations after declining worries about the pandemic.

According to reports, Japan exempted travelers from needing to isolate and submit the COVID-19 test results on entry when coming from 98 countries and regions that are assigned as blue and pose the lowest risk of infection. Some of these countries include Britain, South Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia and the United States.

People from the 99 countries and regions in the Yellow group, including India, Vietnam and Brunei, also don’t require to undergo testing or isolation if they have completed three rounds of the required Covid vaccinations, meaning around 80% of the people entering the country are exempted.

The people from the yellow countries without vaccination certificate and the people arriving from the red group, including those from Fiji, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Albania, will not be exempted.

The restrictions have been relaxed as the country intends to ease entry requirement for visitors from foreign countries to match the other major developed nations coming under fire abroad or at home for its tough border controls.

Apart from this, Japan is planning to resume accepting tourists from foreign in stages from the 10th of June.

Under this plan, the arrivals for the tourism purpose will be restricted initially for guiding tours from the blue countries and regions.

The upcoming guided tour applicants will be included in the 20,000-per-day arrival quota.

During a news conference, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary, said that the country is planning to ease border control rules to maintain the balance between infection prevention and social-economic activities.

Last year, in November, the country excluded all new entries by foreigners and had since eased the restrictions gradually as vaccinations progressed at home and other countries started global trade.

Source Credit - https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/2319306/japan-expands-daily-arrival-cap-to-20-000-as-covid-fears-recede