Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday (August 24) that the country will scrap the requirements of pre-departure COVID-19 (coronavirus) tests for vaccinated travellers to the country.
Kishida informed that the easing of rules regarding the Covid testing will go into effect on September 7.
While addressing media online, Kishida said, “With regards to travellers from Japan to overseas, who needed to test before returning to Japan that has been an inconvenience, starting from September 7, rather than providing a negative test within 72 hours of returning, we will make it possible to use a certificate of vaccination.”
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“We intend that from September 7, people who have received three doses of (COVID-19) vaccine will no longer need to provide a negative COVID-19 test certificate,” he added.
He further noted that a decision on whether or not the nation should raise the daily entry level from the current 20,000 will be made soon.
In this context, Kyodo News and some other local media reported that earlier this week that the government was planning to raise the level to 50,000.
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The Japanese prime minister is recuperating from COVID-19 at his official residence.
Japan has been extremely strict when it came to Covid measures. The country imposed some of the strictest pandemic border measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
The nation previously asked the travellers to present a negative coronavirus test, which is taken within 72 hours of departure.
But the country has been relaxing some of the rules to open up the economy.
In June, Japan in June opened up to tourists for the first time in two years, however, the nation asked them to apply for visas and stick to guided, package tours have kept the actual numbers of inbound visitors small.
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