
Japan keeps border controls as it prepares for omicron surge
India Today
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the stringent border controls have helped slow the variant's spread and “bought time” to prepare for an imminent surge.
Japan will keep its borders closed to most foreign citizens through February as it attempts to accelerate coronavirus booster shots for elderly people and expand hospital capacity to cope with the rapidly spreading omicron variant, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.
Japan briefly eased border controls in November after COVID-19 cases rapidly declined, but quickly reinstated a ban on most foreign entrants after the highly transmissible new variant emerged.

Legal immigration to the US in 2025 has seen one of its sharpest declines since the pandemic. About 2,50,000 fewer visas in total were issued compared to 2024, reported The Washington Post. The drop has been global, but India stands out as one of the worst affected, alongside China. Visa approvals for the two countries fell by a combined 84,000.












