After 2-year COVID ban, Japan opens ports to international cruise ships

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Two years after turbulence created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan on Tuesday decided to lift restrictions on docking of international cruise ships, the country’s Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito said.

In March 2020, Japan banned the docking of international cruise ships, which brought 2.15 million visitors to the country in 2019.

“The (transport) ministry has determined enough preparation have been made to accept ships carrying large groups of people, with guidelines crafted by industry associations to prevent the spread of infections among passengers,” Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Japan saw a huge cluster of coronavirus cases aboard the Diamond Princess cruise in February 2020. The Japanese authorities had to quarantine the passengers in Yokohama near Tokyo.

Around 13 of the over 700 infected passengers and crew died due to the infection.

Japanese cruise companies are discussing the arrival of international cruise ships while Japan International Cruise Committee data showed 166 visits by foreign cruise ships are scheduled from the coming March.

However, under new health guidelines, the cruise crew members “must be vaccinated three times against the virus, and more than 95% of passengers must be vaccinated at least twice.”

Japan has reported over 23 million infections and 47,627 deaths due to COVID-19.