[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] From the 7th of next month, people who have received three or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will not be required to submit a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test certificate when entering Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held an online press conference on the 24th and announced a policy to ease entry and quarantine regulations centered on this measure. Until now, Japan has required all incoming travelers from overseas to submit a negative PCR test certificate conducted within 72 hours, but this requirement will be waived for those who have received three vaccine doses or meet other conditions.
Regarding the plan to raise the daily entry cap from the current 20,000 people, Prime Minister Kishida stated, "Considering the (COVID-19) infection situation, I want to announce it quickly." There is talk of increasing the entry cap to 50,000 people.
Prime Minister Kishida also announced a policy to reconsider the comprehensive tracking of COVID-19 cases. Currently, medical institutions must report detailed information on all confirmed cases, including name, date of birth, vaccination history, and contact information.
Kishida explained that only elderly people or patients at high risk of severe illness will be required to report such detailed information, and for others, local governments will be allowed to report only the number of confirmed cases based on their judgment.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, there is also a rising plan to allow foreign package tours without travel agency staff accompanying the group. Currently, foreign entry for tourism purposes is only possible through group tours accompanied by travel agency staff.
Prime Minister Kishida explained, "The fight against the (corona) virus is not easy, but considering the changing characteristics of the Omicron variant, we will speed up our response to achieve coexistence of infection prevention and social and economic activities as much as possible." Kishida was diagnosed with COVID-19 on the 21st and is currently in self-isolation.
Additionally, Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government is considering reducing the self-isolation period for symptomatic COVID-19 patients from the current 10 days to 7 days.
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