Japan and other Asian countries are adding to the cascade of global restrictions on travel from the U.K., amid fears of a new coronavirus variant believed to be more transmissible than strains seen so far.

Katsunobu Kato, the Japanese chief cabinet secretary, on Wednesday morning announced a temporary ban on foreign visitors arriving from the U.K., starting Thursday. Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea have all announced their own fresh travel curbs since Tuesday, following measures by India and Hong Kong on Monday.

Kato said only Japanese citizens coming back from Britain, as well as foreign nationals with valid residence permits, will be allowed to enter the country "for the time being." They will be asked to stay in quarantine for 14 days -- a rule that had been relaxed in November for travelers returning from short business trips.

This contradicted earlier reports that even foreign residents might be temporarily locked out.

From Sunday onward, nationals and residents returning to Japan will be allowed to isolate at home only if they can submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test issued no more than 72 hours before departure. Otherwise, they will have to stay at a designated quarantine facility.

Governments are taking no chances with the new strain, despite questions over whether there is actual cause for alarm. The World Health Organization has stressed that it has seen no evidence the variant is more deadly or makes people sicker, cautioning against panic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it appears to be up to 70% more transmittable.

European countries were quick to cut off Britain after the U.K. government admitted over the weekend that the coronavirus variant was out of control in some parts of the country. Hong Kong followed on Monday by announcing it would ban anyone who had spent time in the U.K. in the past two weeks from boarding a flight to the city, while India said it would suspend flights from the U.K. until Dec. 31.

Source: ANNnewsCH