Japan (definitely not) opening to tourism in April 2021 on a trial basis

[railsquid]

I think I mentioned earlier in the thread, but there are apparently plans to produce the AZ vaccine domestically once approved, apparently from May onwards: アストラゼネカ「ワクチン承認後は迅速供給」　5月以降の見通し

Today it was announced there "should be" enough supply of the Pfizer vaccine available for all recipients (i.e. everyone over the age of 16) by some point in September: ワクチン“全対象者に必要な数量 9月中に供給可能の見通し”, though no doubt there will be some lag between "doses being available" and "second doses having been administered with sufficient time to take effect".

 

Until then a fun spring and summer of variant whack-a-mole to look forward to.

[kuro68000]

Beat me too it, the advantage of being in a better timezone! Story about the Pfizer supply in English: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210418_12/

 

What this means for opening up isn't clear. They may decide to allow visitors before September if most of the population is vaccinated. People under 30 are at very low risk and herd immunity should kick in over the summer. Also they will I'm sure be requiring negative COVID tests before allowing people to travel.

[railsquid]

  

4 hours ago, mojo said:

 

What this means for opening up isn't clear. They may decide to allow visitors before September if most of the population is vaccinated. People under 30 are at very low risk and herd immunity should kick in over the summer.

 

I don't know where you're pulling that speculation from, but given that the vaccination of the elderly/vulnerable and medical workers is supposed to be completed by the middle of August, and supplies for everyone else will be available hopefully by some undetermined point in September, it's going to be a whole while yet before everyone gets vaccinated. For the record my in-laws, who fall into the "elderly" cohort, have yet to hear anything about their vaccination.

 

Anyway, I wouldn't want to speculate on any opening up of travel in either direction based on a tentative vaccine supply date. Just good to learn of a slightly more concrete timeline.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by railsquid

[cteno4]

Please, let’s keep this topic to the published facts about travel to japan and not any speculation on the future here or larger covid discussions.

 

thanks

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

May 24, 2021, Travel advisory to avoid Japan for US residents.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/japan-travel-advisory.html