Tokyo: Japan on Tuesday confirmed the first case of the Omicron Coronavirus variant, a day after the authorities announced the limitation of the new Covid border.
“Regarding the travelers who came from Namibia, it was confirmed to be an Omicron case after analysis at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases,” said Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.
“This is the case of the first Omicron confirmed in Japan,” he said, adding that the infected travelers, a man in his 30s, is now in isolation in medical facilities.
The announcement came a day after Japan tightened its border regulations again, except all new foreign arrivals just weeks after calming the rules difficult to allow several students and business travelers to enter.
New rules only mean Japanese citizens and existing foreigners can enter the country, with a little exception, and those from regions with omicron cases known to require hotel quarantine ranging from three to 10 days.
Japan has recorded more than 18,300 Coronavirus cases during a pandemic, while avoiding difficult locking.
After a slow start, the vaccination program took speed and almost 77 percent of the population was fully vaccinated.