Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
(Thailand)
[Getty/Kyodo]
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, March 25 (Japan time)
- Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Wednesday requested that people refrain from going outside this weekend for nonessential reasons, due to concerns over a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus infections in the Japanese capital
- Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies will hold an emergency teleconference on Thursday to discuss a coordinated global response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to its host Saudi Arabia
- There was a mixed reaction Wednesday to news the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed for up to a year, with some welcoming what was seen as an inevitable decision while others said cancellation was the best option with costs already ballooning.
- The J-League, Japan's pro soccer establishment, plans to resume first-division matches on May 9 after a hiatus of more than two months due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, chairman Mitsuru Murai said Wednesday.
- Japanese athletes affected by the overnight announcement of the Olympics and Paralympics being postponed until next year have overwhelmingly voiced their support for the news.
- Veteran comedian Ken Shimura has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his agency said Wednesday, making him the first Japanese entertainment figure to announce their infection publically.
- U.S. President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during phone talks on Wednesday that a roughly one-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics was a "wise and great" decision, the top Japanese government spokesman said.
- The postponement of this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, an unprecedented response to the global coronavirus pandemic, throws a wrench into Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's political calculus heading into the final stretch of his tenure.
- Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics sponsors, volunteers and other people involved in its preparations generally showed understanding for an agreement Tuesday between Japan and the International Olympic Committee on a one-year postponement of the events due to the global coronavirus outbreak.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 21 days starting Wednesday, restricting the movements of some 1.3 billion people in a bid to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus.
- Finance chiefs from the Group of Seven industrialized nations pledged Tuesday to do their utmost in bolstering the economy and financial system from the negative impact of the global new coronavirus pandemic.
- Singapore on Tuesday imposed new measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus such as banning conferences and closing bars and cinemas amid a spike in imported cases, but stopped short of a full lockdown.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, March 24 (Japan time)
- The Japan leg of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay, scheduled to begin on Thursday, has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, said Tuesday.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed Tuesday to postpone this summer's Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese leader said.
- Thailand will declare a state of emergency on Thursday to cope with the fast spreading novel coronavirus in the country, the government said Tuesday.
- Department store sales in Japan are likely to drop 40 percent in March from a year earlier, by far the largest margin on record, partly due to a plunge in the number of foreign visitors due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus, according to industry body data released Tuesday.
- While the coronavirus pandemic has created friction between some countries, it appears to have brought out mutual expressions of goodwill between China and Japan, two historical rivals with a sometimes rocky relationship.
(Beijing)
List of major facilities, events affected by coronavirus in Japan
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan
- Japan National Tourism Organization's "Guide for when you are feeling ill"
- Multilingual clinic/hospital search available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese
https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/eng/mi_guide.html - JNTO's "Japan Visitor Hotline"
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day
050-3816-2787
+81-50-3816-2787 (from overseas)
http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001328767.pdf - Tokyo Metropolitan Government's hotline
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
0570-550571
- Available via fax for those with hearing impairments
03-5388-1396 - Japan's health ministry hotline
- Available in Japanese only, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
0120-565653 - World Health Organization's "Q&A on coronaviruses"
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses