Japan makes Covid test must for travellers from China, orders quarantine for those found infected

Japan on Sunday (January 8) tightened border controls further for travellers coming from mainland China. All such incoming travellers will now have to present proof of being Covid negative. The restrictions require that the Covid test should be conducted within 72 hours before departure.

The restrictions have been put in place with an aim of preventing the spread of highly transmittable strains of Covid as there is a massive surge in cases across China after the strict Zero-Covid policy restrictions were lifted.

The restrictions, however, currently do not apply to travellers coming from Hong Kong or Macau.

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Other than that, all travellers from mainland China or those who were in the country within seven days before arrival in Japan will also have to take a PCR or high-quality antigen test when they arrive in Japan.

If a traveller tests positive on arrival in Japan and is showing symptoms, he/ she will have to quarantine for seven days. The quarantine period will be of five days if the traveller is asymptomatic.

Previously, those arriving from Hong Kong and Macau were restricted to four Japanese airports.

Meanwhile, China on Sunday, opened its borders for inbound travellers.

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On Sunday, the first section of passengers to arrive under the new rules landed at airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, CGTN news agency reported.

There were 387 flyers on the flights from Singapore and Toronto. However, no one was subjected to COVID-19 tests or earlier mandatory five-day quarantine after arrival.

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