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JAPAN is developing a system to track travelers from abroad as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus across borders.
“There is no point if we don’t implement it, so you can’t enter this country unless you use the system,” said digital transformation minister Takuya Hirai, as quoted by Kyodo.
Hirai said the government wanted to complete the development of the monitoring system by the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics which was postponed until next summer.
Without giving further details, he said the system would function using global positioning system (GPS) technology.
His comments came a day after Japan said it would bar foreign nationals from entering after a new variant of COVID-19 on passenger arrival from Britain was discovered in the country.
The ban, effective December 28, 2020, will continue until January 2021. Japanese citizens and residents of foreign nationalities are still allowed to enter as long as they can show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test that was issued no later than 72 hours prior to departure.
All migrants are required to undergo quarantine for two weeks after landing in Japan, the government said. Japan reported its first case of the new COVID-19 variant on Friday (25/12). The first cases were found in several passengers on the plane who came from England. [antaranews/photo special]
