Japan adopts tighter entry restrictions on China, S. Korea

March 6, 2020

Tokyo--The Japanese government, at a cabinet meeting Friday, adopted tighter restrictions on entry by travelers from China and South Korea, including Japanese, in the fight against the new coronavirus.

Effective from Monday, all travelers from the two neighboring countries, including Hong Kong and Macau, will be asked to stay in designated places for 14 days after arriving in Japan, and to avoid using public transportation.

Health minister Katsunobu Kato told a news conference on Friday that the government will have no legal power to compel travelers from China and South Korea to follow the 14-day quarantine request.

"We can only make a request but will strive to gain thorough cooperation" from the travelers, Kato said.

The health ministry plans to ask those affected who have arrived from the two countries to stay in their homes or hotels. Their methods of transportation from airports and who will cover related costs remain uncertain, however.

How to monitor their health conditions while they are in effective quarantine and how to handle arrivals via third countries are also undecided.

At the cabinet meeting, the government also decided to refuse entry to non-Japanese who have visited certain areas in South Korea or Iran within two weeks of coming to Japan. The measure will be introduced on Saturday.

From Monday through the end of this month, Japan will limit flight arrivals from China and South Korea to Narita International Airport in a Tokyo suburb and Kansai International Airport near the western city of Osaka, while requesting that passenger transportation by ship from the two neighbors be halted.

For the same period, Japan will suspend its visa waiver for Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea, while invalidating visas issued in China and South Korea.

At a press conference on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga explained that the 14-day quarantine request will also cover Japanese citizens arriving from China and South Korea.

Suga fended off criticism that the government was slow to adopt the effective quarantine policy announced on Thursday evening by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"In this ever-changing situation, which makes it difficult to predict the future with certainty, we made the decision after comprehensively examining situations in other countries and the possible implications" of the tighter border controls, the top government spokesman said. The decision came "at the right time," he added.

Meanwhile, transport minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said that a total of 530 flights a week are expected to be affected by the plan to allow arrivals only at Narita and Kansai airports. Jiji Press