Japan strikes all foreign arrivals due to British variant

Japan also suspends the release of a 14-day quarantine for Japanese citizens and foreigners in a short-haul program that began in November. Participants must now provide proof of a negative test 72 hours before departure to Japan and isolate themselves two weeks after arrival.

Japan has been struggling with increasing cases since November. This confirmed a total of 217,312 cases, including 3,213 deaths, an increase of 3,700 compared to the previous 24-hour period. Tokyo alone reported 949 cases, setting a new record, despite calls from experts and government officials for people to spend a ‘quiet’ holiday.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific Region:

South Korea has decided not to apply the strictest distance rules in the greater Seoul area immediately, despite an increase in coronavirus cases there. The area is currently under the second highest distance rules. It has been asked to increase the restrictions to the highest level, but the government is reluctant to do so due to concerns about the economy. Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said on Sunday that the government would maintain the current restrictions in the Seoul area until January 3. He said the third highest level of distance rules set in other regions also applies until January 3. Korea recorded an average of 999 new cases per day last week, of which 690 were in the Seoul area. Under current rules, nightclubs, karaoke rooms, fitness centers, gyms and staple schools in the Seoul area have suspended operations. As a complementary step, the authorities last week banned social gatherings of more than five people and ordered the closures of ski resorts and other tourist spots. The strictest restrictions would close hundreds of thousands more businesses and order companies to keep all non-essential employees away from home. South Korea reported a total of 56,872 cases, including 808 deaths.

Beijing officials reported five new local coronavirus cases when authorities rushed to test residents. The five cases, linked to earlier infections, lived in the city’s Shunyi district, which has since included an emergency response plan that includes mass testing, source detection and disinfection. As of Saturday afternoon, more than 120,000 have been tested for the coronavirus. Authorities plan to test 800,000 people in the district. Separately, officials reported four cases transmitted locally in the northeastern port city of Dalia, where more than 4.75 million people were tested after more than 20 confirmed cases this month. China has reported 22 new cases in the past 24 hours, including 10 imported and 12 domestic. China has so far reported a total of 86,955 cases, with 4,634 deaths.