Japan has started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers arriving from China as an emergency measure against surging infections there.
People wearing and not wearing face masks shop around at a shopping street famous for a year-end shopping before New Year holidays in Tokyo, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. Japan on Friday started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers arriving from China as an emergency measure against surging infections there and as Japan faces rising case numbers and record-level deaths at home.
The measures began ahead of the New Year's holidays marked by travel and parties. Direct flights between China and Japan will be limited to four major Japanese airports for now, government officials said. Hong Kong tour operators are scrambling to rearrange flights for their customers to minimize losses. Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of travel agency EGL Tours, said his company was forced to cancel some tours after Japan initially decided to limit flights from Hong Kong to land at just four Japanese airports. After Thursday's policy change, his staffers tried to call the customers who were in the canceled tours back but could not get all of them back.
Japan earlier this year stopped requiring COVID-19 tests for entrants who had at least three shots — part of the country’s careful easing of measures after virtually closing its borders to foreign tourists for about two years. This year's holiday season is the first without virus restrictions other than recommendations for mask wearing and testing.
“We hope Japan can view China’s COVID situation and adjustment to our response policy in a correct and objective manner and take science-based and proportionate measures to ensure normal cross-border exchange between the two peoples,” he said. India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan have also responded to the Chinese wave of infections by requiring virus tests for visitors from China. The United States said Wednesday it would requireSouth Korea on Friday announced that it will also require travelers from China to show negative PCR test results within 48 hours or rapid antigen tests within 24 hours of their departures, beginning Jan. 5.
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