TOKYO -- Japan stepped up its campaign against the new coronavirus, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched a ministerial task force that paves the way for a possible declaration of a national state of emergency.
Abe said on Thursday that Japan will further tighten entry restrictions for international travelers, placing all visitors from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa under a 14-day self-quarantine and suspending all visas and visa waiver programs for these regions.
