Amid Omicron scare, Japan revokes ban on incoming flights day after announcement

Only a day after announcing a restriction on new incoming international flight bookings amid scare of Omicron variant, Japan has revoked the order. The revocation comes following criticisms that it was an "overreaction" by the Japanese government. As an emergency precaution against the new COVID variant, the transport ministry had asked overseas airlines on Wednesday, December 1, to cease accepting new reservations for flights coming into Japan until the end of December. However, on Thursday, the ministry withdrew the request after receiving complaints that the prohibition was excessively stringent and amounted to abandoning its own people. 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the policy's swift reversal was based on the needs of Japanese citizens travelling abroad. Kishida has been advocating for strong preventative measures against the COVID-19 after his predecessor Yoshihide Suga had virtually lost his leadership position amid public condemnation that his viral precautions were too limited and too sluggish. "I have instructed the transport ministry to fully pay attention to the needs of Japanese citizens to return home," Kishida was quoted as saying by Associated Press.

Japan's daily international arrivals capped at 3,500 from 5,000

The officials claimed the request intended to limit Japan's daily overseas arrivals from 5,000 to 3,500 in order to strengthen border controls. According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the request, which was sent as an emergency precaution, caused misunderstanding. He stated that the request for a uniform stoppage on new bookings has been retracted. Matsuno further asserted that a limit remains in place because the daily cap of 3,500 arrivals has been made mandatory. "New bookings can be made as long as there is room under this cap," he added as reported by AP. 

It should be mentioned here that foreign nationals from all across the world are already barred from entering Japan, with the exception of spouses of Japanese nationals, those with permanent resident permits, and others who are subject to special considerations. As of now, at least two cases of the Omicron variant, which was initially detected in South Africa last week, have been reported in Japan. Notably, the country had begun to relax social and economic restrictions after infections slowed since the month of September.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)