Nuclear Meltdown

WHO says no travel bans needed for Japan

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-03-18 21:21

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization says Tokyo's radiation levels are increasing but still not a health risk and it sees no reason to ban travel to Japan because of its nuclear crisis.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said Friday the organization "is not advising travel restrictions to Japan" outside the 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) exclusion zone around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex.

Hartl said that includes Tokyo where "radiation levels have increased very slightly, but are still well below the absolute levels of radiation where it would be considered a public health risk."

Hartl said "at this moment the public health risk beyond the 30-kilometer radius ... is small."

He also said that "in general travelers returning from Japan do not represent a health hazard."