A diplomatic row erupted today after the Japanese government ordered all visitors from South Korea and China to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period on arrival.
The move prompted a backlash in Seoul, which branded the restrictions “excessive and irrational” and demanded showdown talks.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga defended the move and said the “timing was appropriate”.
South Korea has the highest number of recorded cases outside of China, with 505 additional cases today, down from a high of 851 on Tuesday.
Bhutan banned entry of tourists for two weeks after recording its first case yesterday, thought to be a US tourist to the kingdom on the edge of the Himalayas.
An Ecuadorean navy ship with 50 people on board was quarantined after one of the crew had contact with the country’s first coronavirus case.
The Netherlands today announced its first death from the virus, an 86-year-old man in Rotterdam. In Germany 134 more cases emerged.
Italy restricted visits to nursing homes after recording 148 deaths. Older people are more vulnerable to Covid-19, but with schools closed they are on grandparenting duties, and therefore at risk of exposure.
Iran planned to limit travel by setting up checkpoints and urged people to stop using paper money. Tehran has recorded more than 3,500 cases and at least 107 deaths.
