People dine at restaurants at Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 25, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

Japan on Tuesday confirmed plans to gradually ease COVID-19 border restrictions, but fell short of calls from business lobbies to open up the country in line with its major trading partners.

The government has decided to review border controls in stages, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, responding to media reports that quarantine for business travelers would be cut from 10 days to three.

The easing may go into effect from Monday, while daily border entrants would be raised from 3,500 people to 5,000 later in November, national broadcaster NHK said.

Domestic and foreign business groups in Japan have lobbied the government to ease border restrictions to be more on the same terms as other countries. The US and European Union allow entry to travelers from most countries as long as they have proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

While the shorter quarantine would be welcome, it would only benefit business travelers and Japanese nationals, said Michael Mroczek, president of the European Business Council in Japan. The bigger issue is the remaining hold on long-term visas.

Japan shortened its quarantine period for vaccinated people to 10 days from 14 in October when it lifted state of emergency measures over much of the country.

COVID-19 cases have fallen dramatically in Japan as the nation's vaccination rate has pushed past 70 percent of the population. New infections in Tokyo fell to nine on Monday, down from more than 5,000 a day during a wave in August driven by the Delta variant.

Vaccine checks and coronavirus testing before and after international trips should be enough to contain infections now that the pandemic has ebbed in Japan and elsewhere, said Haruka Sakamoto, a physician and researcher at Keio University.

Reuters