Job Discussion Forums

[ConnDestn]

I heard from a friend who's mother wants her to come back to Japan earlier then she was expecting that it is getting difficult to get in because of the whole Swine flu scare. Does anyone know anything about this. I was planning to go in July.

[Glenski]

Help us out here. From what country is she coming?

[Apsara]

They are checking people arriving on planes from certain countries (Mexico of course, the US, Canada, probably also NZ and a few other places now) with thermal scanners and looking for symptoms of the flu. This has resulted in people waiting on the planes for up to three hours in a few cases, but so far the difficulty is limited to being patient until allowed off the plane.

Who can say what the situation will be in July? If the spread of the flu doesn't get too much worse, probably similar to the situation now. If it gets much worse, the of course international travel could be restricted, but noone can predict that.

It would of course help if you told us where you would be coming from...

[slodziak]

[passport220]

[ConnDestn]

She is coming from America. She is Japanese but is studying here. I am also coming from America. Thanks for the info.

[Suwon23]

Just this afternoon I was at the Japanese consulate in Atlanta. The lady behind the counter looked surprised, as if she'd never thought of this question before. She said that there were no extra restrictions on travel to her knowledge.

[Hot-Carl]

[seklarwia]

Yeah you can check with the embassy but in my experience they aren't always the best people for up to date changes.

Check with your airline now. They'll know much more about travel restrictions. I don't know about US airlines, but UK airline websites always have the any travelling restrictions stated on their websites.

Then check again just before you leave just incase any new restrictions have come into force.

Also just keep an eye out on the travel/world news in the US since that is where you'll be travelling from. It will definately make the news if people are being denied travel anywhere.

[cornishmuppet]

My girlfriend is 'terrified'. There have been, what, two confirmed deaths outside of Mexico? Not quite sure what all the fuss is about. More people die of normal flu.

Someone warned me the other day not to eat pork (yawn...). And the Kencho that I work for advised us that during Golden Week we should only go to a country that had reports of swine flu if 'absolutely necessary', listing practically every English-speaking country as infected.

[Suwon23]

[cvmurrieta]

Just adding my two yen regarding the swine flu.

I had to translate a letter for an ALT's BoE the other day. The BoE in Miyagi was asking the American ALT to get a health check in the US before returning AND one in Japan even if the one in the US comes back negative.

[slodziak]

The media coverage in Japan has been even more hysterical than the UK (but only just). They are just wetting themselves to get a picture of the first case to land in the country; still now when it isn't even making headlines in 'The Daily Mail' anymore. The facts of the case just haven't warranted this amount of squealing.
A good article about the media overreaction in the UK:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/05/swine-flu-panic

[gaijinalways]

I heard 2 universities issued letters that there could be closures if the swine flu becomes a problem. My unis have issued nothing (wah).

Personally I think it's a lot of hysteria about little or no health risk (now if you asked me about German Measles outbreaks in Japan ), but I wouldn't mind extra paid vacation (though they may ask us to make up the classes missed, but that sometimes isn't possible ).

[Apsara]