Japan announced on Saturday that it will temporarily stop the entry of non-resident foreign nationals from December 28, after discovering its first case of a new variant of coronavirus that could be more transmissible, reports Reuters.
Why does it matter: The new option, found for passengers arriving from the UK on Friday, has sparked concern in the country, as Tokyo struggles with an increase in cases heading into the New Year holidays.
By numbers: Tokyo reported 949 cases on Saturday, a record for the capital, according to Reuters.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday urged people to stay home and avoid social gatherings.
Note: So far, there is no evidence that the new variant is more deadly – only that it seems more transmissible. There is also no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines will be less effective against the new variant.
The whole picture: At least 31 countries have banned travel to the United Kingdom after the British government warned that a new variant of coronavirus could be up to 70% more transmissible.
- The new variant was detected in Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands, according to the BBC.
Go deeper: BioNTech says it could produce the COVID-19 vaccine in 6 weeks if needed