Japan Doubles Daily Cap On Entrants To 20,000
Japan doubled the limit for daily arrivals in Japan from abroad on Wednesday to 20,000, another step in relaxing COVID-19 border controls.
The move came ahead of the planned reopening of the country to overseas tourists on June 10.
COVID-19 quarantine measures are being relaxed widely at airports and other venues as the threat of infections has declined.
Under eased rules for entering Japan, countries and regions have been divided into three groups, depending on levels of infection risk and other conditions. Arrivals from 98 countries and regions in the low-risk group, which includes the US and South Korea, are exempt from having to take an antigen test and show a vaccine certificate upon arrival.
At Narita airport, near Tokyo, a woman from Thailand expressed surprise over the quick quarantine procedure. Thailand is also included in the low-risk group. She said she feels happy that life is gradually getting back to normal.
A businessman who traveled back to Japan via Thailand said he was free of the testing at the airport that used to take more than two hours.
The health ministry said arrivals exempt from antigen testing and presenting a vaccine certificate are expected to account for about 80 percent of the total.