TOKYO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan will tighten restrictions on travelers from six African countries after the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant in South Africa, the government's top spokesman said Friday.
Starting Saturday, travelers who have recently been to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe will be requested for a 10-day quarantine period in a government-designated facility upon their arrivals, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno announced at a press conference.
After leaving the government-designated facility, travelers will also need to spend four more days in quarantine at home to ensure they are not infected. The previous rule has allowed them to spend all 14 days at home.
The decision was made amid increasing concerns over the spread of a COVID-19 variant known as B.1.1.529, which infectious disease experts warn could be more contagious than previous strains or reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines.
Matsuno said that the Japanese government decided to designate the variant as one that requires special responses and would proactively respond if the variant spreads. Enditem