Japan bans entry of foreign visitors as Omicron spreads

Nations tighten borders as fear spreads of more pandemic suffering

Tokyo, Nov. 29: As cases of a new Coronavirus variant are confirmed around the world, Japan announced Monday that it will suspend entry of all foreign visitors, joining an increasing number of countries that are tightening their borders as fear spreads of yet another extension of pandemic suffering.

Japan, which has yet to detect any cases of the recently identified Omicron variant, reimposed border controls that it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.

Despite the global worry, however, scientists cautioned that it’s still unclear whether Omicron is more dangerous than other versions of a virus that has killed more than 5 million people. Some countries are continuing with previous plans to loosen restrictions, with signs of reopening in Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand.

“We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worstcase scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said of the measure that begins Tuesday. Japan has kept its border closed to foreign tourists from all nations.

Kishida urged people to continue wearing masks and pursuing other basic anti-virus measures until further details of the new omicron variant are known. Kishida, whose predecessor lost his job in part because of disappointment over his handling of the virus, was not alone in choosing an aggressive approach until details of what Omicron

decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday — among the most drastic of the growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scrambled to slow the variant’s spread.

Scientists in several places — from Hong Kong to Europe to North America — confirmed its presence. On Monday, the Scottish government announced the discovery of six new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, taking the UK total to nine. It has asked public health authorities to undertake enhanced contact tracing. —