Japan eases coronavirus measures for tourists from China by only testing random passengers

Japan is easing its coronavirus separator measures for visitors from China opening Wednesday by testing only random passengers, a apical authorities spokesperson said Monday.

Since December, Japan has been testing each travelers from mainland China astatine 4 designated airports connected grounds of surging infections successful that state and a deficiency of information. Visitors from China are besides required to show a impervious of pre-boarding antagonistic test.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news convention that arsenic of Wednesday, only random testing will beryllium carried retired connected passengers from China.

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The alteration is intended to "promote soft world travel" taking into information comparatively debased infection rates among arrivals complete nan past 2 months, Matsuno said. All samples analysed astatine nan separator were of nan omicron strains, which are already recovered wrong Japan, he said.

Proof of pre-boarding antagonistic trial will still beryllium required, he said.

Travelers guidelines successful statement adjacent check-in counters successful a departure hallway astatine Narita International Airport successful Narita, Japan, connected Dec. 30, 2022. Japan is easing COVID-19 separator measures for visitors from China. 

Direct flights from China, presently only allowed to onshore astatine Narita, Haneda, Chubu and Kansai, will beryllium expanded to different airports.

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China, which lifted its "zero-COVID" argumentation successful December, retaliated for nan stricter separator measures imposed by Japan and South Korea by temporarily suspending short-term visas for nan nationals of nan 2 countries. China has since resumed issuing visas successful Japan.

South Korea has already removed introduction restrictions for short-term travelers from China since nan opening of January, arsenic officials saw nan pandemic successful China being stabilized.

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Japan plans to mostly relax its mask-wearing requests connected March 13 and time off it up to individuals. It will besides downgrade COVID-19 to nan balanced of seasonal influenza successful May.