The Japanese government said it will bar the entry of foreign nationals who have recently traveled to Thailand and six other countries in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The measure will be effective from Friday. The six are Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Saint Lucia, East Timor and Mongolia, bringing the number of countries and regions under such restrictions to 159.
Foreign nationals who have been to any of those areas within 14 days of arrival will not be allowed to enter Japan, with the exception of permanent residents, their families and others with special circumstances. Japanese citizens are not subject to the measure.
Regarding Sri Lanka, the government added it to a list of countries it deems to pose an especially high risk of becoming a gateway for the highly contagious India variant of the coronavirus to enter Japan.
Foreign nationals, even those with resident status, are denied entry after traveling to the countries on that list — also including India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives and Bangladesh.
Japanese citizens who have been to these countries are required to quarantine for six days at a designated facility and take multiple tests to check for infection.
