Japan will maintain its strict border control measures "for the time being" amid uncertainty over the omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.
Even with the number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases staying at low levels and a lack of community spread of the omicron variant, Kishida said Japan needs to strengthen its preparedness by accelerating booster shot rollouts and promoting orally administered COVID-19 drugs.
The government initiated the current border control measures in late November, barring new entries by foreign nationals from abroad and requiring returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents to quarantine in government-designated facilities. Kishida said recently that the measures would be extended until early January.