Japan has softened its suspension of all new incoming flight bookings to make it easier for citizens to return, a day after it announced the move prompted by worries about the Omicron coronavirus variant, AFP reports.

The transport ministry abruptly said on Wednesday it was asking airlines to stop taking all new incoming flight reservations for a month, in a surprise move affecting citizens and foreign residents.

But, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters it would be amended.

“This request caused confusion among those affected and so the prime minister instructed the transport ministry to examine the issue and consider the needs of Japanese citizens hoping to return home,” he said