All arrivals to Japan from China are now required to complete a questionnaire from the health ministry as part of an increased effort to stop the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.
The ministry started distributing the questionnaire on Saturday to everyone coming into the country, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his country will deny entry to foreign nationals who have recently stayed in the Chinese province of Hubei, starting on Saturday. This is to help prevent the spread of the new strain of coronavirus.
Abe revealed the measure on Friday at a government task force meeting on the new coronavirus infection.
A third chartered plane has repatriated 149 people from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, to Japan.
The evacuees were sent to medical institutions to be tested for the virus.
Japanese researchers say they have isolated and cultured the new coronavirus from samples taken from infected people. The coronavirus has caused a pneumonia outbreak in China.
Researchers at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases made the announcement on Friday.
The Japanese government says it will start enforcing on Saturday ordinances that allow it to tighten immigration controls and take other measures to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading.
The government initially planned to start enforcing the ordinances next Friday. The move to fast-track their enactment came after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday.
Japan's health ministry will ask all arrivals from China to fill out a survey inquiring about stays in the Chinese city of Wuhan and any health problems they may have.
Passengers will receive the questionnaire aboard flights and ships from China, whether or not they have symptoms suspected to be related to a new coronavirus.
Japan has confirmed three more cases of infection with the new coronavirus, raising the total domestic tally to 14.
The latest confirmations came on Thursday. The three people include a Chinese student who is in her 20s and lives in the western prefecture of Kyoto, a male foreign national in his 50s, who lives in the western prefecture of Mie, and a tour conductor who is in her 30s and resides in the Chinese province of Hunan.
Japan's health ministry officials have confirmed the first two cases of coronavirus infection without any symptoms in the country. They say the cases without signs of infection are the first to be made public outside of China.
The ministry confirmed that three evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan have the new type of coronavirus.
Japan's health ministry has confirmed three new cases of infection with the new-type coronavirus in the country, bringing the total to 11.
The ministry says three evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan have tested positive for the virus.
A number of countries are working to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. In Tokyo, a plane carrying 210 Japanese nationals from the virus-hit city has just touched down at Haneda Airport. It's the second such flight in two days.
The government-chartered flight also delivered supplies such as masks and disinfectant to the Chinese city before making the return trip.
A second plane to evacuate Japanese nationals from Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, is expected to arrive at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Thursday morning.
The government-chartered plane left for the Chinese city on Wednesday night. It was carrying eight medical staff and government officials, as well as relief supplies such as masks and disinfectants.
A Japanese charter flight with about 210 evacuees on board has left Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the new coronavirus outbreak.
The All Nippon Airways Boeing 767 left Wuhan on Wednesday morning after a delay of about two hours.
A chartered jet has arrived in Wuhan to evacuate Japanese nationals from the Chinese city at the center of the new coronavirus outbreak.
The Japanese government chartered the All Nippon Airways Boeing 767 that flew into Wuhan late Tuesday night.
