US issues travel warning for Japan over surge in Covid cases

The United States has issued a travel warning for Japan over the surge in COVID-19 cases. This comes amidst heightened scrutiny just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics. However, US Olympic officials have said they are confident their athletes will be able to take part safely in the games. Japan has already banned most of the travellers from entering the country.

 

The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said, travellers should avoid all travel to the country. It warned that in the current situation in Japan even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID variants. Largely due to the global pandemic, the US currently has 151 countries at level four, its highest level, including most of Europe where large sports events get ahead under special COVID restrictions. 

Japan had a low number of COVID cases, but is now witnessing a fresh wave of infections which has pushed the



health care system in some cities to its limit. Japan currently does not allow any tourists or business travellers into the country for fear of new strains of the virus. The Japanese ban includes people coming from the US being denied permission, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

 

Large parts of the country are currently under a state of emergency to give regional authorities more power to enforce measures against the pandemic. Despite the growing crisis, year. Public opinion in the country has seen a vast majority of people calling for the Games to be cancelled though, or postponed a second time. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled out both those options. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said the travel warning  would not affect their participation. No foreign travellers are allowed to attend the games.