Japan Shortening Quarantine Period

Above, a Niigata cemetery. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On first glance, Japan's policy involving foreign nationals and coronavirus is a bit confusing, to say the least.

On one hand, foreign visitors are banned from entering the country. Then on the other, they are shortening quarantine times down. It looks to me that the following involves Japanese citizens and foreigners who are residents.

The latest policy has been posted by The Japan Times:

Japan said Friday it will shorten the quarantine period for travelers arriving in the country to 10 days from the current 14, effective Saturday.

Citizens and Japan residents arriving from countries severely hit by the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which effectively includes all countries and territories around the world, will be eligible to enter the country under the new rules, the Foreign Ministry said. New entries of foreign nationals are effectively banned due to COVID-19 border restrictions.

“The length of period when they are required to self-quarantine in places such as their own residence or accommodations after their entry into Japan, to follow-up checks conducted by the Health Monitoring Center for Overseas Entrants and to refrain from using public transportation is changed from 14 days to 10 days,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The period had been at least three days, but it was extended to 14 days in late November as the government tightened border controls following the emergence of omicron.

The move comes after the government shortened the quarantine period for close contacts of COVID-19 patients from 14 days to 10.

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