Contagious Foreigners to be Quarantined

The Justice Ministry has announced that from next month, sick foreigners are to be barred from entering Japan. Immigration officials will administer a brief health test to non-Japanese citizens on arrival, and any found to be carrying contagious diseases such as colds or influenza will be detained in quarantine for a minimum of one week.

Ministry spokesman Kazuo Suzuki said, `Taking fingerprints and photographs has yielded unprecedented success in reducing the incidence of infection across Japan.  Our aim is to eradicate disease completely, so I hope the foreign community will show understanding of our need to take this measure.`

However, critics have raised concerns about how the plan is to be implemented.  `If one member of a family is contagious, will the entire family be quarantined?` asked foreign disease specialist Megumi Nakano.  `And tourists may find themselves being detained for the entire duration of their stay, or longer.`

Suzuki answered her concerns by outlining measures for dealing with such situations.  `There will be a special wing for families, where visitation will be allowed every day,` he explained.  `And for tourists we`ll provide travelogue DVDs, an on-site gift shop, and fast-track deportation for anyone who overstays.`