Photo/Illutration Quarantine officials attend to a traveler at Kansai International Airport on March 9. (Tatsuo Kanai)

Japan has decided to shut out much of Europe by refusing entry to visitors from 18 countries, including Italy, Spain, France and Germany, because of the new coronavirus pandemic.

The other countries are: Andorra, Estonia, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway, the Vatican, Belgium, Malta, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Luxemburg.

Until now, Japan has required travelers from those countries to self-quarantine at home or in hotels for two weeks, although the request had no legal basis.

The government decided to tighten the restriction by imposing the entry ban under the immigration control law.

Foreign nationals who have visited the targeted countries in the past two weeks will not be allowed to enter Japan unless there are special circumstances. The government will introduce the new measure at an emergency ministerial-level meeting of the National Security Council scheduled to be held this week.

In a related development, the Foreign Ministry on March 23 raised its infectious disease warning for the 18 countries to Level 3, second from top on a four-stage scale, and urged the public to avoid traveling there.

Japanese travelers from those countries will be subject to the current entry restriction that targets much of Europe.

The government will also extend travel restrictions targeting travelers from China and South Korea by one month until the end of April. The restrictions, such as asking entrants from the two countries, including Japanese, to stay at home or other accommodation for two weeks and suspending visas issued by the Japanese government, will remain in place.

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