Japan announced on Saturday that it will temporarily suspend the entry of non-resident foreigners from December 28, after it discovered its first case of a new variant of the coronavirus that may be more transmissible, reports Reuters.
Why it matters: The new variant, found in passengers arriving from Britain on Friday, has raised concerns in the country, while Tokyo struggles with an increase in cases going into the New Year’s holiday.
By the numbers: Tokyo registered 949 cases on Saturday, a record for the capital, according to Reuters.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday asked people to stay home and avoid social gatherings.
Of importance: 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 the COVID-19 vaccines will be less effective against the new variant.
The big picture: At least 31 countries have banned UK travel after the British government warned that a new variant of the coronavirus could be up to 70% more transmissible.
- The new variant has been detected in Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands, according to the BBC.
Go deeper: BioNTech says it can produce vaccine for the COVID-19 variant in 6 weeks, if necessary