Japan to relax border controls for passengers from China from Wednesday
Passengers on a plane from Beijing arrive and head to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test area at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 8.
Japan will from Wednesday ease its COVID restrictions on travelers from China, dropping a requirement that everyone take a test for the virus upon arrival, its top government spokesperson said.
Instead of blanket testing of travelers from China's mainland, Japan will only test selected samples, although travelers will still need to show a negative test before boarding their flights to Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Monday.
The changes were intended to "support smooth international travels, given a low rate of positive test results among entrants," Matsuno said.
Airlines will also be allowed to operate direct flights from China to more Japanese airports, Matsuno said. For now, direct flights from China's mainland can only land at the Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Chubu airports.
Passengers from Hong Kong and Macau will be exempt from any on-arrival testing or pre-boarding negative test requirements, broadcaster TBS reported earlier on Monday, citing government sources.
