Japan announced on Monday that it will close its borders to foreigners. In doing so, the country is following the example of Israel. These are the strictest measures taken since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus variant Omicorn, a variant that appears to be more contagious than Delta.
The latest variant, which was first identified in South Africa, was found in Australia. This was bad news, as the country was on the verge of lifting the lockdown. The The variable has already been found in Belgium, Botswana, UK, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands.
“worrying”
“Estimating the severity of a variant can take days to several weeks,” says the World Health Organization (WHO). Meanwhile, Omicron has already been classified as a “different type of anxiety”.
In Japan they are already taking precautions to prevent the worst case scenario. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will close its borders to all foreigners from midnight Tuesday. “Japan will first and foremost ban entry to foreigners,” he told reporters. He added that Japanese returning from certain countries will be subject to quarantine in designated facilities.
So far, no Omicron infections have been found in Japan. However, tests will be conducted to determine if some travelers from Namibia have not contracted the new variant. This was stated by Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto. The travel ban in Israel went into effect Sunday night. The state also wants to use phones to track infections with the new variant.
Travel ban as a global trend
This trend also continues in other countries. From November 29, Morocco will ban all incoming international passenger flights. The Moroccan government announced that Sunday.
In Singapore, they have started itineraries for people who have been vaccinated. At the moment, there are contacts only with countries from the Middle East, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The United Kingdom is calling an emergency meeting of G7 health ministers on Monday. And in the United States (US), Joe Biden will provide new details on the alternative and what the response will be from the United States on Monday. The White House said in a statement.
“There is no evidence that the travel ban is effective”
South Africa sees the measures as unfair and potentially harmful to the economy. The state says it will be penalized for its scientific ability to identify variables early.
“Science has not proven that travel bans are effective or effectively prevent the spread of any kind,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
“All it will do is do more harm to the economies of the affected countries.” (MAh)
