TOKYO: Starting in March, Japan will relax Covid-19 border regulations by raising the daily entry cap and cutting the quarantine period for both Japanese and foreign nationals from seven to three days, according to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

According to reports, Japan will increase the number of new immigrants allowed per day from 3,500 to 5,000 starting next month, and foreign nationals will be able to enter the country for purposes other than tourism.

The judgement came as the country's non-resident foreigner entry ban, which was implemented from November 2021 to the end of February 2022, drew widespread criticism for being overly stringent and not based on science. Travelers will be required to quarantine for three days upon arrival in Japan, with the time ending once they have tested negative for Covid-19.

The entry restrictions were eased after the head of a health ministry expert panel declared on Wednesday that the recent increase of Covid-19 cases likely "peaked" in early February. In an effort to combat the highly transmissible Omicron strain of the coronavirus, the country decided to implement border controls at the end of November.

As exceptions, only a small percentage of non-resident foreigners seeking to enter Japan have been granted visas. Students, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and even members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party have been pleading with the Japanese government to relax the limitations.

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