Japan to require negative COVID test upon arrival for Chinese travellers

People stand in front of a flight information board at the Haneda International Airport, on the first day Japan opened its doors to tourists after closing them for two-and-a-half years due to travel restrictions sparked by the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan October 11, 2022. REUTERS/Issei Kato/Files

Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travellers from mainland China due to the rapid spread of the virus in the country, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday.

Travellers from China who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days, Kishida told reporters, adding that the new border measures for China will go into effect from midnight on Dec. 30.

The government will also limit requests from airlines to increase flights to China, he said.

Japan reopened its borders to tourists in October after more than two years of strict COVID curbs, provided travellers present proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus tests taken before departure.

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)