Japan announced on Saturday that it will stop a temporary ban on non-resident foreigners entering the country starting Dec. 28, after discovering its first case of a new variant of the coronavirus that may be more transmissible, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The new variant, found among passengers arriving from Britain on Friday, has sparked concern in the country as Tokyo grapples with an increase in the number of cases heading for New Year holidays.
In 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 at home and avoid social gatherings.
Of interest: So far there is no evidence that the new variant is more deadly – just that it appears more transmissible. There is also no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines will be less effective against the new variant.
The big picture: At least 31 countries have banned travel from the UK after the UK government warned that a new variant of the coronavirus could be up to 70% more transmissible.
- The new variant has been discovered in Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands, according to the BBC.
Go deeper: BioNTech says it can produce a vaccine for the COVID-19 variant within 6 weeks if needed