(Update) Japan to shut out foreigners on cruise ships with infected people

February 7, 2020

Tokyo--Japan will basically refuse entry of foreign nationals aboard cruise ships if the vessels carry people infected with the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday.

Abe announced the policy at a meeting of a government task force set up in response to the coronavirus outbreak originating in Wuhan, Hubei Province, central China.

Meanwhile, another Japanese government-chartered plane left Tokyo International Airport at Haneda on Thursday night, heading for an airport in Wuhan to bring home some 200 Japanese nationals and their family members with Chinese nationality.

The plane is expected to return home Friday morning.

The previous three chartered flights last week brought home a total of 565 Japanese nationals from Wuhan, which is locked down due to the outbreak.

At the task force meeting, Abe explained that a suspected coronavirus infection case has been confirmed at a cruise ship from Hong Kong that is expected to arrive in Japan shortly.

He said Japan will not allow foreign nationals aboard the ship, the Westerdam, to enter the country, based on the immigration control law.

"If any similar case occurs, the government will take the same measure promptly," Abe said.

Regarding the fourth chartered flight, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a meeting of an LDP faction that the plane will bring home most of the remaining Japanese nationals in Hubei who are willing to return to Japan, including their spouses with Chinese nationality.

Chinese authorities were initially reluctant to let Chinese spouses and children of Japanese nationals leave China. But they changed their mind in response to Japan's strong request.

The fourth flight will also carry emergency supplies for China, such as face masks and protective suits, as did the previous flights.

"Our country has been providing China with what support we can, based on the spirit of 'a friend in need is a friend indeed,'" Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference.

"Japan will spare no efforts in cooperating with China and assisting the country in order to prevent the infection from spreading further," he added.

Meanwhile, Suga mentioned restrictions on entry of travelers from Japan imposed by the three Pacific island countries of Micronesia, Niue and Tuvalu due to the coronavirus scare.

Suga later made a correction to the list, removing Niue.

The Immigration Services Agency said Japan refused entry of seven foreign nationals over the coronavirus Wednesday.

As a result, the number of foreign nationals who could not gain permission to enter Japan since tighter immigration control measures were introduced Saturday due to the outbreak totaled 20.

After screening, 19 other foreigners were allowed to enter Japan under an exceptional measure. Jiji Press