Currently, foreign residents of Japan from 146 countries and regions are denied entry into Japan, part of a safety measure to contain Covid-19 coronavirus. On August 21, NHK announced that Japan will allow re-entry for all foreign residents. Previously, foreign residents were only allowed re-entry into Japan under ‘special circumstances’ or if they left the country before the entry ban was in place. While the news broke last week, there has been no official update on the matter.
Kyodo News reported today that Japan will lift the entry ban for foreign residents starting next month, as announced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Returning residents will have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and receive negative results, in addition to self-quarantining for 14 days upon arrival in Japan.
Meanwhile, NHK World has also reported that Abe plans to step down as Prime Minister due to health concerns. Abe is currently Japan's longest-serving prime minister with a seven-year tenure. He is expected to hold a press conference at 5pm today.
In addition, thirteen more places will be added to Japan's entry ban list this Sunday: Bhutan, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Ethiopia, Gambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Nigeria, Malawi, South Sudan, Rwanda and Lesotho. This brings the total number of countries and regions under the entry ban to 159.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more details.
Follow live updates on the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Tokyo and Japan here.
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