NEW YORK/TOKYO -- When the World Health Organization named a new COVID-19 strain first identified by South African scientists as a "variant of concern" in late November, Anthony Ramos knew he had little time to act.
The Hong Kong-based business executive had been living in a hotel with his wife and three-year-old daughter since June, waiting to join his Japanese company at their headquarters near Osaka. Japan's borders finally opened in November, allowing Ramos to obtain dependent visas for his family. Their flights were booked for Dec. 3.
