With the share of people vaccinated rising worldwide and numbers of coronavirus infections fluctuating, Japan has begun to loosen its quarantine measures for travelers from several American states, including New York, as well as countries in Europe and the Middle East.

The changes, which will take effect Thursday, also include more stringent requirements than those currently in place due to the rise in infections with the delta variant of the coronavirus, which was first detected in India.

From Thursday, people coming to Japan from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lebanon and six American states ー Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee ー will no longer need to stay in government-designated facilities after entering the country.