Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080410TDY01305.htm
Govt to close doors to victims of new flu strain
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government will prohibit Japanese who have developed symptoms of a new type of influenza during an outbreak in other countries from returning to Japan and refuse to issue visas to foreigners of countries where such an outbreak occurs, the government announced Wednesday.
Some estimates suggest about 640,000 people could die in an outbreak of a new flu strain in Japan.
The government will discuss the matter with local governments, airline companies and other concerned parties. Final details of the emergency antiflu proposal draft will be included in the government's action plan to fight new types of influenza, government officials said. The plan is scheduled to be announced in July.
On Wednesday, the cross-ministerial panel tasked with preparing for a new influenza pandemic decided that measures to prevent the virus from entering Japan and promoting the early return of Japanese staying in other countries would be major pillars of the basic policy. The following concrete measures were added to an action plan formulated in 2005, they said.
Should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur in another nation, people from that country will only be able to enter Japan through four airports--Narita, Chubu, Kansai and Fukuoka--and three sea ports--Yokohama, Kobe and Kanmon. Kanmon Port encompasses Kitakyushu Port and Shimonoseki Port, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
In addition, the government will ask airline companies to prevent people who have developed symptoms specific to the new influenza--such as severe coughing and a fever--from boarding their aircraft.
As an emergency step, anti-influenza drugs such as Tamiflu will be distributed to Japanese through Japanese embassies in countries where outbreaks occur.
The government will ask all airline companies that operate direct routes between Japan and affected countries to voluntarily suspend their operations when it seems likely that infected people could be planning to travel to Japan.
(Apr. 10, 2008)
Govt to close doors to victims of new flu strain
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government will prohibit Japanese who have developed symptoms of a new type of influenza during an outbreak in other countries from returning to Japan and refuse to issue visas to foreigners of countries where such an outbreak occurs, the government announced Wednesday.
Some estimates suggest about 640,000 people could die in an outbreak of a new flu strain in Japan.
The government will discuss the matter with local governments, airline companies and other concerned parties. Final details of the emergency antiflu proposal draft will be included in the government's action plan to fight new types of influenza, government officials said. The plan is scheduled to be announced in July.
On Wednesday, the cross-ministerial panel tasked with preparing for a new influenza pandemic decided that measures to prevent the virus from entering Japan and promoting the early return of Japanese staying in other countries would be major pillars of the basic policy. The following concrete measures were added to an action plan formulated in 2005, they said.
Should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur in another nation, people from that country will only be able to enter Japan through four airports--Narita, Chubu, Kansai and Fukuoka--and three sea ports--Yokohama, Kobe and Kanmon. Kanmon Port encompasses Kitakyushu Port and Shimonoseki Port, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
In addition, the government will ask airline companies to prevent people who have developed symptoms specific to the new influenza--such as severe coughing and a fever--from boarding their aircraft.
As an emergency step, anti-influenza drugs such as Tamiflu will be distributed to Japanese through Japanese embassies in countries where outbreaks occur.
The government will ask all airline companies that operate direct routes between Japan and affected countries to voluntarily suspend their operations when it seems likely that infected people could be planning to travel to Japan.
(Apr. 10, 2008)
