Japan has had more than 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus
Japan will impose a 14-day quarantine period on all travellers from China as the country tightens immigration controls amid the coronavirus outbreak.
People near a machine measuring body temperature at a convention hall in Tokyo
As of Thursday, Japan had more than 1,000 cases of the virus and recorded 12 deaths. Some 700 confirmed cases arose from cruise liner Diamond Princess, which was quarantined off the coast of Yokohama last month.
Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido declared a state of emergency on Friday as the number of coronavirus cases rose, asking residents to stay indoors over the weekend.
The quarantine policy also applies to travellers from South Korea, the second worst affected country with more than 6,000 infections and 40 deaths.
Empty or near-empty store shelves in Japan
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a meeting of a government task force on the disease that visitors from both countries would be placed under quarantine to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further in Japan.
"We will ask [travellers] to stay in designated areas for two weeks and not to use public transport,” Abe said.
Japan has had more than 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus
People near a machine measuring body temperature at a convention hall in Tokyo
Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido declared a state of emergency on Friday as the number of coronavirus cases rose, asking residents to stay indoors over the weekend.
Empty or near-empty store shelves in Japan
