Japan looks to further ease border controls as sixth wave of COVID-19 wanes

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that the Japanese government is considering further easing border restrictions as the country prepares to “exit the sixth wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We hope to gradually increase international travel while taking into consideration the infection situation at home and abroad, as well as the demand of Japanese returnees,” Kishida said at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session.

The government has already decided to relax Japan’s border controls from March in the wake of criticism from business and academic circles at home and abroad.

Among the measures to be eased, the daily cap on the number of new entrants will be raised from the current 3,500 to 5,000 starting next month.

The nationwide daily count of coronavirus infections was 61,260 on Thursday, according to reports by prefectural governments.

Tokyo reported 10,169 new cases, down by around 7,600 from a week earlier. The seven-day rolling average of daily infections in the capital stood at 12,509.1, down 16.2% from the previous week, according to the metropolitan government.

Across Japan, patients with severe symptoms fell by 15 from the previous day to 1,474, the health ministry said.