Japan lifts COVID overseas travel alert for entire world

The government on Monday completely lifted its overseas travel alert for Japanese nationals over the coronavirus pandemic, following the end of the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 emergency.

Japan initially issued the advisory in January 2020 for those who traveled to China, setting it at Level 1, the lowest on its four-point scale. The Foreign Ministry expanded it worldwide in March that year.

At one point, 159 nations and areas received a Level 3 advisory, which warned people to avoid traveling to them.

Since October last year, the government had maintained a Level 1 alert, which advises travelers to “stay fully alert,” for the entire world.

Citing a decline of deaths and cases involving serious symptoms, the World Health Organization declared Friday that the pandemic no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

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