A man looks at Japan Airlines planes parked at Haneda international Airport in Tokyo, on Nov. 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan confirmed its second case of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus Wednesday, the top government spokesman said, as the country announced it will deny entry to all foreigners from 10 African countries feared to have outbreaks of the strain.

       A man in his 20s who arrived at Narita airport near Tokyo from Peru on Saturday was found to be infected with the Omicron variant, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. Scientists are rushing to discover whether it is more transmissible or able to evade immunity from vaccines or previous infections.

       The discovery comes a day after Japan confirmed its first case, a diplomat in his 30s traveling from Namibia. The non-Japanese man from Peru, who is currently in quarantine at a medical facility, was not in close contact with the diplomat, according to a government source.

       Matsuno said Japan will deny re-entry to all foreigners, including residents with long-term visas, who have recently been to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

       The measure will come into effect Thursday and remain in place "for the time being," Matsuno told a press conference. Japan has already banned new entries of foreigners from around the world.

       Exemptions will be made in "special circumstances" involving foreign spouses and children of Japanese citizens, diplomats and humanitarian cases.

       But Matsuno said Japan is narrowing eligibility for such exemptions as part of efforts to keep out the Omicron variant and has stopped accepting government-funded international students or participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

       As part of tighter border controls, the transportation ministry said Wednesday it has requested airlines to stop accepting new reservations for international flights arriving in Japan.

       The World Health Organization has designated the strain a "variant of concern," warning it may be highly transmissible or able to evade immunity gained from vaccines or previous infections.

       In addition to the ban on new entries of foreigners, Japan on Thursday will expand the scope of countries and territories from which returning Japanese citizens and foreign residents face tougher quarantine measures, requiring them to spend up to 10 days of their two-week isolation periods in government-designated facilities.

       From Thursday, people returning from Nigeria, Portugal, Spain and Sweden will need to stay three days in government-designated facilities, the Foreign Ministry said.

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