You can’t book that flight to your dream destination right now because of COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look at seat sales and great deals. Travelling will be on the table again once everything settles down, and you’ll finally be able to go on that vacation. However, you might have to put that Japan trip on hold.
According to a report on Kyodo News, Japan is expanding its entry ban to more nations as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on May 25.
The ban will take effect on May 27 and will remain in place "for the time being." This means foreign nationals who have been to these areas within the last 14 days will be turned away upon arrival in Japan.
Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ghana, Guinea, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, South Africa, and Tajikistan are the newest additions to Japan’s entry ban list.
The Foreign Ministry announced the ban to the 11 nations last week and discouraged citizens from taking any trips to the countries.
With this latest addition, Japan’s entry ban list now has 111 countries, including the Philippines, United States, China, South Korea, and all of Europe.
If you’ve stayed in any of the countries in the list within 14 days prior to landing in Japan, you’ll be turned away.
Aside from the entry ban, Abe said Japan would make use of other border control measures to curb the spread of the respiratory disease. This includes visa suspensions and a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for all arrivals, including Japanese nationals, until June 30.
Main image from Manuel Cosentino on Unsplash.