Japan's government said Friday it will shorten the COVID-19 quarantine period for vaccinated businesspeople from overseas upon their arrival in the country to three days starting Monday following global progress with vaccinations and requests from the business community, Kyodo reported. The eased quarantine rules will apply to short-term business travelers inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines deemed effective by Japanese authorities on the condition that firms accepting them report in advance on their planned activities for the seven days after quarantine and supervise them accordingly. Currently, such travelers must undergo a 10-day quarantine period upon entering the country, while a 14-day quarantine period applies to other arrivals. The government will also resume entry of those staying longer-term, including students and technical intern trainees, although their quarantine period will be 14 days in principle. Schools and firms planning to accept them will be required to report in advance their planned activities in Japan and how they will be monitored. Following an explosive virus resurgence and the spread of highly contagious variants, the government in January suspended the entry of foreigners, including businesspeople, in principle, only accepting individuals under "special circumstances," such as on humanitarian grounds. The latest move comes as the number of new coronavirus cases has fallen sharply in Japan, and economic activities have further resumed. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said Japan will also consider resuming acceptance of tourist groups by reviewing within this year how their activities can be controlled and monitored.
