Joe Tomei with 2020’s last(?) update from Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland, JET program prefectural advisors. Thanks to them for their updates all this year.
====== Hi Kumamoto,
We thought we could get away without bothering everyone again until the new year, but it wasn’t to be so, and everyone will already have noticed that the situation has unfortunately worsened. Here are a few more updates for you below:
Risk Level remains at Level 5
Kumamoto Prefecture has kept its Risk Level at Level 5 after a week of very high case numbers. From 20 December to 26 December, there have been 245 new cases in Kumamoto.
A cluster at an elderly care facility in Minami-ku Kumamoto is the source of many of the recent cases – 61 in total among the staff and residents as of 26 December. https://kumanichi.com/news/id43028
The Yatsushiro Area has seen 23 new cases including the cases belonging to a cluster at an Elementary School mentioned in our previous update. Cases of workplace and household transmission have been seen throughout the prefecture.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/124595.pdf
Kumamoto City issues new requests to City residents to avoid dining with others, outings for the elderly, etc.
In response to the worsening situation, Kumamoto City has issued the following requests to its residents:
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Avoid having meals together with anyone other than the family members, etc., with whom you reside due to the increased risk of transmission.
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The elderly and those with underlying health conditions should avoid unnecessary and non-urgent outings. This is due to the fact that these groups are more likely to develop serious symptoms requiring long periods of hospitalisation and place a further burden on the medical care provision system.
https://www.city.kumamoto.jp/hpkiji/pub/detail.aspx?c_id=5&type=top&id=32182
Fukuoka added to list of prefectures to avoid travel to
Due to the number of positive cases over the past one-week period being higher than 15 per 100,000 people, Fukuoka has been added to the list of prefectures that Kumamoto is requesting its residents avoid travel to. This is the first time a prefecture in Kyushu has appeared on the list since the request was first announced at the beginning of the month and reflects a recent spike of new cases in Fukuoka.
Kumamoto Prefecture itself has a rate of 14.0 per 100,000, just under the threshold. You can confirm the whole list here: https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/30/78301.html (in Japanese)
Notice about new immigration restrictions in response to COVID-19
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a notice about new entry restrictions to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19. These new restrictions will apply to entrants from all countries to Japan. The principal measures that will be taken are as follows:
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From 28 December until the end of January, new entry to Japan from all countries will in principle not be permitted (excluding Japanese nationals, foreign residents of Japan who already possess a valid status of residence, and business track/residence track entrants). -
From 28 December until the end of January, individuals returning to Japan from short-term business trips abroad (Japanese nationals or foreign residents of Japan who possess a valid status of residence) will be subject to strengthened quarantine measures, including a 14-day period of isolation. -
With respect to travel overseas, please be aware that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued Level 3 (avoid all travel) and Level 2 (avoid unnecessary and non-urgent travel) travel advisories to applicable countries.
For further details, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website (Japanese only)
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pcwideareaspecificinfo_2020C090.html
Flight bookings from UK not possible
Although last week new entries from the UK to Japan were suspended, the booking of commercial flights remained unaffected and Japanese nationals as well as foreign nationals with a valid status of residence in Japan were allowed to return. However, according to travel advice from the British government, from 25 December for an initial period of one week, new flight bookings from the UK are no longer possible.
