Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is requesting passengers from Wuhan City with symptoms of cough or fever, or who are taking cough suppressants or antipyretics (medication to reduce fever) to contact a quarantine officer at the airport upon arriving in Japan.

Temperature screenings are also being conducted at airports in Japan. However, these are part of regular screening practice.

As of February 19, 2020, according to the risk assessments of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) in Japan regarding COVID 19, there have been reports of human-to-human transmission of this infectious disease.

The MHLW also suggests that given that it is cold and flu season, it is a good idea to take regular preventative measures against infectious diseases – coronavirus included.

These measures include:
・Cough etiquette (e.g. covering your mouth or wearing a mask)
・Washing your hands often with soap and water; and
・Avoiding touching your mouth, eyes, or nose with unwashed hands.

Also, note that winter is cold season in Japan, and there are many people wearing masks this time of year, for prevention purposes.

During the cold and flu season, washing your hands a little more frequently is probably a good idea to prevent illness. In Japan, people usually wear masks in the wintertime to avoid getting sick.

Masks and hand sanitizers can be found at convenience stores (e.g. 7-ELEVEN, LAWSON, FamilyMart, MINI STOP) and drug stores (e.g. Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Tomod’s, Welcia).

The following are some helpful links for additional information on coronavirus in general, and additional resources on Coronavirus (COVID 19) in Japan.