Japan to ease curbs on short-term business travel with Vietnam - Yomiuri

A woman rubs her hands with sanitizer at a check-in counter amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak at Haneda airport in Tokyo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and Vietnam will allow short-term business travel with each other as they aim to boost their economies following travel curbs to rein in the coronavirus, the Yomiuri daily said on Saturday.

The pact, which will take effect by the end of October at the earliest, follows similar steps to ease travel restrictions to Singapore and South Korea, the paper added.

The new deal exempts business travelers from the usual quarantine period of two weeks, on condition they comply with rules such as taking virus tests.

The two nations are considering a joint official announcement of the measures on a visit planned for mid-October by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to Vietnam, the paper Yomiuri said, without citing any sources.

Travel curbs between Japan and Vietnam have already been eased for those planning long-term stays.

Japan, which has been cut back on travel restrictions in recent weeks, also plans to lift a travel ban for 12 nations, including China.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)