Japan plans website for booking coronavirus tests before travel

The government plans to open a website in October for business travellers and athletes to book polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests before they travel overseas.

The website, to be named TeCOT, will allow those planning international trips to check the necessary conditions for travel, which differ by destination, and reserve the PCR tests.

Only business travellers and professional athletes will be allowed to use the service in principle. Japanese athletes slated to participate in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, scheduled for next year, will also be able to use the website.

The website will allow users to easily search and make reservations for domestic medical institutions offering the novel coronavirus tests needed for international travel.

The government will require medical facilities on the website to disclose their PCR test fees, to prevent excessively high charges.

Certificates for negative test results will be issued by the medical institutions in paper form or by email for the time being.