Japan bars foreign visitors while Australia delays reopening

TOKYO/SYDNEY • Japan said yesterday it would close its borders to foreigners, as the world's third-largest economy joined Israel in taking the toughest measures against the new coronavirus variant Omicron, which also cast a cloud over Australia's reopening plans.

Japan barred entry to foreigners from midnight yesterday, and Japanese returnees from specified nations will have to quarantine in designated facilities, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.

"These are temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for safety's sake until there is clearer information about the Omicron variant," Mr Kishida told reporters. "I'm prepared to bear all criticism from those saying the Kishida administration is being too cautious."

The tougher restrictions mark a rapid tightening after Japan last Friday said it would strengthen border controls on people arriving from six African nations, even though no cases of Omicron have been detected in the country and much about the new variant remains unknown.

The United Kingdom has re-introduced mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for all arriving passengers and said they must self-isolate until receiving a negative result.

Meanwhile, Australia yesterday abruptly halted plans to reopen its international borders to skilled workers and students, an eleventh-hour decision prompted by concerns over the Omicron variant. After an emergency security meeting, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the much-heralded reopening tomorrow will be delayed at least two weeks.

Australia's borders have been closed to most non-citizens for more than 20 months, causing labour shortages and pummelling the vital tourist industry.

Mr Morrison described the delay as "a necessary and temporary decision" based on medical advice.

Australia has so far detected five cases of the Omicron variant.

Nations around the world have enacted border curbs since the WHO dubbed Omicron a "variant of concern".

But Japan's measures are among the strongest, following Israel in banning entry of foreigners, and Morocco, which has halted all inbound flights for two weeks, and mark a rapid change of course.

Japan's Foreign Ministry later said the tighter measures included extending mandatory hotel quarantines to six days instead of three for travellers from the UK.

For those from nations including Australia and Austria, the duration rises to three days from none.

Business lobbies in Japan clamoured for months for the government to ease what were some of the world's most restrictive border controls.

Only last week, a monthly limit on inbound travellers was raised from 3,500 to 5,000 and earlier this month, quarantine periods were shortened for vaccinated passengers.

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG

1. Australia
2. Belgium
3. Botswana
4. Britain
5. Canada
6. Czech Republic
7. Denmark
8. Germany
9. Hong Kong
10. Israel
11. Italy
12. Netherlands
13. Portugal
14. Scotland
15. South Africa