The spread of the new coronavirus has subsided and economic activities are being resumed. It is hoped that traffic to and from overseas will be eased in a phased manner while taking care to prevent infections.
As a first step in easing restrictions on entering and exiting Japan, the government has started making arrangements to allow business trips to Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. Passengers for business purposes from these four countries are also expected to come to Japan.
Japan currently prohibits foreigners from 111 countries and regions from entering the country in principle. The government has issued a travel cancellation recommendation to 129 countries and regions, and is now restricting travel out of the country. This is an unusual situation in an increasingly globalized economy.
The tourism and airline industries are struggling to get by, as demand from foreign visitors has disappeared. It is appropriate to regain the international flow of people while taking measures at the border to prevent an influx of the virus.
Vietnam, which has few cases of coronavirus infections, has already resumed domestic economic activity. Thailand, Australia and New Zealand have also kept the spread of infections under control. It would be appropriate to reopen the nation to these countries.
The government will require polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for those entering the country. They will not be allowed to use public transportation for two weeks and will only be permitted to go to places they report in advance. It is easier to limit the areas of activity of businesspeople than tourists and foreign students. Companies should comply with these measures.
It is said about 30% of infections may fail to be caught with PCR testing. Even with thorough border measures, it is inevitable that a certain number of infected people will enter the country. If the virus is introduced from a country with an outbreak of the coronavirus, it could trigger a resurgence of infections in Japan.
The government plans to ease the restrictions on which countries people can travel to Japan from and the number of people entering the country. It is realistic to gradually expand the number of people and countries while assessing the situation of infections.
The epidemic is still continuing in Europe and the United States. Quite a few countries have resumed economic activities although they have not been able to contain infections. In countries such as Brazil and Russia, the numbers of infected people are in far bigger figures than in Japan.
The level of infection control measures varies from country to country. We need to accurately grasp the actual situation of infections in each country.
As the number of people leaving and entering Japan increases, it becomes a challenge to strengthen the PCR testing system. It is important to set up testing centers that can quickly determine the test results and are able to carry out a large number of tests efficiently.
Restrictions on cross-border travel between prefectures will be lifted on Friday, as well as ending requests to close nightclubs and live music venues. As people move around domestically and abroad, the virus will spread. It is imperative that each person continues efforts to prevent spreading the virus.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on June 19, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
