Japan will suspend new entry into the country of nonresident foreign nationals from around the world from Monday through late January as a precautionary step against the new, potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant, Kyodo cited the country's government as saying on Saturday. This comes as the Japanese government confirmed the first domestically transmitted case. Japan reported 3,881 coronavirus cases the same day, a new record daily tally for the fourth straight day, and 47 deaths as Tokyo and several other prefectures reported the highest numbers of infections at the start of the year-end and New Year holidays' season. The government will also require all people coming from countries and territories where the new variant, first detected in Britain, is confirmed to submit negative virus test results within 72 hours of departure and undergo tests upon arrival from Wednesday through the end of January. However, businesspeople and students from 10 countries including Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea, with which Japan has a special scheme to ease travel restrictions, will not be affected by the suspension policy, the government added. Tokyo has already barred entry to foreign nationals who have recently been to Britain and South Africa. Earlier in the day, the government reported two more people have been infected with the variant, with one of them confirmed as the first domestically transmitted case. — SPA
