Japan said Wednesday it will tighten border controls on travelers from seven additional countries, mainly from Europe, in response to the spread of new variants of the novel coronavirus detected in the states.
The measure, to take effect Saturday, will involve Japanese nationals and others traveling from Estonia, the Czech Republic, Pakistan, Hungary, Poland, Luxembourg and Lebanon, according to the government.
People arriving from the countries will be required to submit negative results from virus tests taken within 72 hours of their departure for Japan and take another test upon arrival.
They will also be required to quarantine in a designated facility and retake the test after three days.
If the results are negative, they will be asked to leave the facility without using public transport and self-quarantine at home or other locations for at least 14 days.
With the addition of the seven countries, there are now a total of 24 countries subject to the stricter measures.
