Japan to Ban Entry of All Foreign Nationals Amid Omicron Variant Fears

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during his press conference, after the parliament reelected him as prime minister, in Kantei, Japan, on Nov. 10, 2021. Stanislav Kogiku/ Pool via Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country will temporarily suspend new arrivals of all foreign visitors from Nov. 30 onward to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of the CCP virus, a new variant first identified in South Africa.

Speaking to reporters at the his office on Nov. 29, Kishida said the emergency measures were imposed to prevent “a worst-case scenario” in Japan.