Daily Times

Japan will fast-track new rules to limit the spread of a coronavirus strain that has killed more than 200 people, the prime minister said Friday, as more evacuees arrived from China.

Japan has already decided to label the new virus a “designated infectious disease”, allowing the forcible hospitalisation of those infected and giving immigration authorities the power to prevent people with the virus from entering the country.

The measures were due to come into effect from February 7, but will now be moved up to February 1, Shinzo Abe told parliament.

“With this measure, we will refuse infected individuals entry to Japan,” Abe said.

“We will swiftly study ways to strengthen immigration control for cases where infection is suspected but not confirmed,” he added.

The announcement comes with concern growing in Japan about the spread of the virus in the country, where 14 cases have been identified so far.

Among the cases are two people who contracted the virus without travelling to China — a tour guide and bus driver who were in contact with visitors from Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak. The 14 also include three people who returned on an evacuation flight from Wuhan on Wednesday, two of whom displayed no symptoms when they tested positive.

Third evacuation flight arriving

The cases of apparent person-to-person transmission, as well as infection without symptoms, have sparked increased criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis, particularly its minimal quarantine measures for evacuees from Wuhan.

Unlike other countries, which are opting to isolate returning citizens for between 72 hours and two weeks, Japan has asked evacuees to “self-quarantine”.

Japanese officials say there is no legal basis for them to forcibly isolate people who have not tested positive for the virus — and that will not change with the implementation of the new rules from Saturday.