Shutters coming down against virus variant

Japan joins Israel in sealing borders as WHO vexed by 'overreaction' on curbs

TOKYO/SINGAPORE/SYDNEY－Japan said on Monday it would close its borders to foreigners, as the world's third-largest economy joined Israel in taking the toughest measures against the new coronavirus variant Omicron as its spread casts a cloud over some Asian countries' reopening plans.

Markets, however, regained some composure as investors await more details on the variant, after sinking last week on fears it could bring fresh curbs, threatening a nascent economic revival from a two-year pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people.

Potentially more contagious than prior variants, Omicron, first identified in South Africa, has been found in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, the Chinese territory of Hong Kong and Portugal.

On Monday, Portuguese health authorities said they had identified 13 cases of Omicron at the Lisbon-based Belenenses soccer club.

It could take "days to several weeks" to understand the level of severity of the variant, says the World Health Organization, which flagged Omicron as a "variant of concern".

As much is still not known about the variant, including whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines, the WHO has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied. The health agency urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations.

In Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country was closing its borders to all foreigners from midnight on Tuesday, as a precaution to avert a worst-case scenario.

"Japan will first of all ban the entry of foreigners," he told reporters, adding that Japanese returning from specified nations would face quarantine in designated facilities.

While Japan has not yet found any Omicron infections, Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto said tests were being run to determine if the new variant had infected a traveler from Namibia who tested positive for the virus.

Israel's ban took effect from midnight on Sunday. It has also vowed to use counterterrorism phone-tracking technology to combat Omicron.

Reopening in Asia

On Monday, Singapore and Malaysia reopened one of the world's busiest land borders, allowing vaccinated travelers to cross for the first time since the shutters came down nearly two years ago because of the pandemic.

Although travelers welcomed the chance to reunite with family and friends, there were concerns the border might be closed again due to Omicron.

As many as 300,000 Malaysians commuted daily to Singapore before the pandemic. The sudden closure of the border in March 2020 left tens of thousands stranded on both sides, separated from families and fearing for their jobs.

At the Queen Street bus terminal in Singapore, a few dozen people waiting to board the first buses to Malaysia expressed caution.

"The borders may close soon because of the new variant," said Eugene Ho, a 31-year-old banker leaving Singapore for the first time in nearly two years. "I am actually very worried about getting stuck."

Travelers must test negative for COVID-19 before departure, and also take an on-arrival test.

Australia said it would review plans to reopen its borders to skilled migrants and students from Wednesday, after reporting its first Omicron cases.

'Unfair' measures

Morocco was scheduled to ban all inbound international passenger flights for two weeks from Monday, the government said on Sunday.

The United Kingdom earlier said it would call an urgent G7 health meeting on Monday. The United States planned to ban travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries from Monday.

South Africa has denounced the measures as unfair and potentially harmful to the economy, saying it was being punished for its scientific ability to identify variants early.

"The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant," President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

"The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries, and undermine the ability to respond to, and also to recover from, the pandemic."

Agencies - China Daily