(London)
[Getty/Kyodo]
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, April 22 (Japan time)
- Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's request urging people to keep a distance from one another to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus has spurred the creation of an online game that has become an unexpected viral hit.
- Singapore on Wednesday reported a four-digit increase in new coronavirus infections for the third consecutive day, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to breach the 10,000 mark.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that now is "the most critical time" amid the new coronavirus outbreak if Japan wants to lift its state of emergency on May 6.
- Authorities in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin further tightened restrictions on inbound traffic and private gatherings on Wednesday to contain its second wave of coronavirus infections blamed on imported cases.
- Four associations in Japan involved in mountain activities have released a joint statement asking people to refrain from climbing until the threat of the coronavirus subsides.
- The Japanese health ministry is considering introducing an antigen test to more quickly screen for the new coronavirus amid a rise in the number of people who need testing, government sources said Wednesday.
- An additional 33 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in southwestern Japan have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 34, the Nagasaki prefectural government said Wednesday.
- With Japan's summer test matches against Wales and Rugby World Cup runners-up England almost certainly called off as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Brave Blossoms coach Jamie Joseph is hoping the games can be played at a later date.
- China on Wednesday reported 72 new coronavirus infections on the mainland, 30 of which involved individuals displaying symptoms with the remainder showing none.
- President Donald Trump announced an imminent 60-day suspension of immigration into the United States that he said would make sure American workers are the first to get jobs when the economy reopens after the coronavirus shutdown.
- Farm ministers from the Group of 20 major economies vowed to oppose any restrictive measures that would threaten food security and disrupt global food supply chains amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- As supplies of face masks and sanitizers are running short amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, some Japanese municipalities have begun to offer such items as gift incentives for "hometown tax" donations rather than local products like meat or fish.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, April 21 (Japan time)
- Japan will extend its suspension of visas held by foreign nationals to the end of May, a government source said Tuesday, having deemed it too early to lift travel restrictions meant to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.
- The auction proceeds for an illustration drawn by Japanese cartoonist Leiji Matsumoto are to be used to support a hospital in Turin, Italy, where he underwent treatment for pneumonia last year, Italian media reported Monday.
- Only 18 percent of people in Japan have stopped going to work due to the novel coronavirus, the lowest level in 26 countries and territories covered in a recent survey.
- Some 2 million face masks donated by Taiwan arrived in Japan on Tuesday for delivery to public hospitals and special schools across the country in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Uber Eats food delivery service in March saw a 20 percent increase in the number of restaurant contracts in Japan from a month earlier, its operator said Tuesday, as the government urges people to stay at home to contain the coronavirus spread.
- Many members of sexual minorities in Japan worry that catching the novel coronavirus could mean their sexual orientation is revealed against their will as authorities probe infection routes, a supporters' group has found.
List of shops closed in Tokyo following emergency declaration
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan
- NEW! Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Tokyo Coronavirus Support Center for Foreign Residents (TOCOS)" multilingual hotline
- Available in Simple Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Khmer, and Burmese, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except national holidays.
0120-296-004 (toll free) - AMDA Medical Information Center's "Multilingual Consultation Service Regarding COVID-19"
(April 10~May 20, 2020)
- Available in English, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and national holidays. Also available in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Spanish, Vietnamese and Portuguese on designated weekdays. Check schedule here.
03-6233-9266
- Available in English and Chinese on weekdays only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
090-3359-8324 - Tokyo Metropolitan Government's COVID-19 info
https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/flow/ - 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 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 - 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