Japan announces travel bans from foreign visitors including Philippines

Filipinos thinking of traveling to Japan need to re-think their plans as Japan issues a travel ban to 111 countries, which now includes the Philippines.

The decision was announced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a recent government task force meeting in an effort to curb spreading the novel coronavirus.

Kyodo News reported Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended Japan's entry ban to 11 nations last Monday. Included in the updated list of countries with travel restrictions to Japan are Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ghana, Guinea, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, South Africa, Tajikistan, and the Philippines.

Foreign nationals who have visited countries in the travel ban list within the last 14 days will not be accepted for travel in Japan starting today, May 27, 2020.

The list of 111 countries and regions part of the entry ban also includes the United States, China, South Korea, and the entire of Europe.

On a lighter note, Japan has set aside funds to shoulder tourists' travel expenses to Japan, "post-coronavirus."

In a report from The Japan Times, the Japanese government is said to have has set aside approximately $12.5 billion to cover part of tourists' travel expenses while visiting the country post-coronavirus.

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