Japan joins Israel in banning foreign visitors as omicron coronavirus variant spreads
CBC
Japan said on Monday it would close its borders to foreigners, as the world's third-largest economy joined Israel in taking the toughest measures against the new coronavirus variant omicron, which also cast a cloud over Australia's reopening plans.
Markets, however, regained some composure as investors await more details of the variant, after sinking last week on fears it could bring fresh curbs, threatening a nascent economic revival from a two-year pandemic.
Potentially more contagious than prior variants, omicron, first identified in South Africa, has been found in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands.
It could take "days to several weeks" to understand the level of severity of omicron, says the World Health Organization (WHO), which flagged it as a "variant of concern."
As a precaution to avert a worst-case scenario, Japan will close its borders to foreigners from Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, adding that he was ready for criticism that he was being too cautious.
"These are temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for safety's sake until there is clearer information about the Omicron variant," Kishida told reporters.
He did not say how long the restriction would stay. Japanese returning from specified nations would face quarantine in designated facilities, Kishida added.
While Japan has not yet found any omicron infections, Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto said tests were being run to determine if the new variant had infected a traveller from Namibia who tested positive for the virus.
Israel's ban took effect from midnight on Sunday. It has also vowed to use counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology to combat the new variant.
Australia said it would review plans to reopen its borders to skilled migrants and students from Dec. 1, after reporting its first omicron cases.
A national security panel is to meet later in the day to assess border easing due from Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, but added that it was a "bit too early" to reinstate two-week hotel quarantine for foreign travellers.
"So we just take this one step at a time, get the best information, make calm, sensible decisions," Morrison told broadcaster Nine News.
Symptoms of omicron are so far mild and could be treated at home, a South African doctor, one of the first to suspect a different variant, has said
Morocco will ban all inbound international passenger flights for two weeks from Nov. 29, the government said on Sunday.
