Coronavirus: Japan bans entry from 73 countries including US, China

PM Shinzo Abe says the government has tightened visa restrictions and will require a two-week quarantine to visitors and returnees from places Japan has designated as eligible for non-essential trips.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, wearing a face mask addresses lawmakers at the parliament's upper house in Tokyo. (Photo | AP) 

TOKYO: Japan's Prime Minister says Japan has banned entry from 49 more countries, including the US, Canada, all of China, South Korea and seven Southeast Asian countries.

That brings the total number of countries banned from entering Japan to 73.

Shinzo Abe says the government has tightened visa restrictions and will require a two-week quarantine to visitors and returnees from places Japan has designated as eligible for non-essential trips.

Abe cited views presented by a panel of experts at a meeting earlier Wednesday that new cases are rapidly on the rise in Japan and that its medical system is increasingly under pressure.

He has faced calls for a declaration of a state of emergency, but his government is assessing the situation due to concerns of an economic impact.

Tokyo reported 65 new cases Wednesday, after reporting a record 78 daily new cases Tuesday.

Nationwide, Japan has about 3,000 cases including 712 from a cruise ship, with 78 deaths.