Japan Discovers More Omicron Cases... Border Control Expected to Tighten (Comprehensive)

Kazuhiko Araki, director of Tokyo Medical Center in Japan (center), is receiving the third dose (booster shot) of the COVID-19 vaccine on the 1st in Tokyo, while Noriko Horiuchi, Minister in charge of vaccines (second from left), watches. Japan began administering the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on this day. The third dose is primarily for residents of Japan aged 18 and over who have completed two doses at least eight months prior, with approximately 2 million healthcare workers prioritized initially.

The second case of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron infection has been reported in Japan.

Local FNN broadcast reported on the 1st, citing government officials, that the second Omicron infection case has been confirmed in Japan.

Kyodo News reported that the second infected person is a foreigner who entered Japan from Peru on the 29th of last month.

In Japan, it was revealed the day before that the first Omicron case was a Namibian diplomat in his 30s who arrived at Narita Airport on the 28th of last month.

This diplomat, who entered Japan via Incheon International Airport to Narita Airport, tested positive for COVID-19 during airport quarantine, and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan conducted genome analysis confirming the Omicron infection.

Entry restrictions, justified by quarantine measures, are expected to be further strengthened.

The Japanese government, using the entry of the Namibian male infected with Omicron as a trigger, has, from the 2nd, in principle banned re-entry of foreigners from 10 countries in the South African region including Namibia.

Re-entry refers to foreigners who have a status of residence (visa) allowing them to stay in Japan and are entering Japan again.

Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, explained at a press conference that "From a preventive perspective, we have decided to refuse not only new entries of foreigners from the relevant countries but also re-entry of foreigners with residence status unless there are special circumstances for the time being."

Earlier, the Japanese government banned new entries of foreigners from nine South African countries including South Africa from the 28th of last month to block the inflow of Omicron, and from the day before, it has, in principle, refused new entries of foreigners from all over the world.