Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Monday that the country is banning entry of all foreign visitors from around the world as a new coronavirus variant spreads.
Earlier this month, Japan had eased its border controls for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.
Over the weekend, Japan tightened restrictions for people arriving from South Africa and eight other countries, requiring them to undergo a 10-day quarantine period at government-designated facilities.
Kishida urged people to continue wearing masks and take other basic anti-virus measures until further details of the new omicron variant are known.
Many countries have moved to tighten their borders even as scientists warn it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.
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