Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
(Tokyo)
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, April 11 (Japan time)
- More than 190 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Tokyo on Saturday, a record daily increase for the fourth straight day, a metropolitan government official said.
- Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima called Japan's health care workers "our national team" on Saturday and pleaded for people to support them following his own bout with the new coronavirus.
- The Imperial Guard Headquarters said Saturday a senior officer has contracted the new coronavirus, but that he had not had contact with the emperor and empress for a long time.
- Japan will allow governors of all 47 prefectures to "strongly request" that their residents refrain from visiting nightclubs, hostess bars and busy downtown spots in a push to prevent cluster infections of the novel coronavirus, government officials said Saturday.
- Tokyo and six other prefectures entered their first weekend under a state of emergency Saturday, with the government strengthening calls for people to stay home and for nonessential businesses to temporarily shutter to curb the coronavirus' spread in Japan.
- Over 60 percent of people surveyed in Japan last month said their government was not handling the coronavirus outbreak well, according to a poll by the Gallup International Association.
- Since the coronavirus pandemic largely moved indoors the lives of adults and children in Japan, many athletes have been giving the benefit of their expertise on social media to help viewers and followers stay trim without having to venture outside.
- The worldwide death toll from the new coronavirus has surpassed 100,000, a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed Friday.
- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration expects "substantially" fewer deaths from the coronavirus pandemic than its earlier projection of a loss of at least 100,000 lives, thanks to ongoing mitigation measures
List of shops closed in Tokyo following emergency declaration
As of 11 p.m., Friday, April 10 (Japan time)
- Bonuses at Japanese companies are expected to fall this summer by an average of 6.4 percent from a year earlier, the largest decline in 11 years, reflecting a sharp drop in earnings in the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic, a think tank said Friday.
- Restaurants and Japanese-style "izakaya" pubs in Tokyo will be requested to shut by 8 p.m. each day as part of emergency measures to curb the spread of the pneumonia-causing novel coronavirus, the capital's governor said Friday.
- A labor union representing staff of Uber Technologies Inc.'s food delivery service in Japan called Friday for hazard pay and protection against the coronavirus for deliverers working on the front line.
- South Korea reported 27 newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus on Friday, marking the first time for the daily figure to be under 30 since Feb. 20, with none found in the former hotspot of Daegu.
- Leaders of four business bodies in the auto industry in Japan said Friday they will set up a new fund to support manufacturers in the auto sector struggling with slumping demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
- The number of morning commuters in cities across Japan on weekdays was already down before the national emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic earlier this week, government data showed Friday.
- The Japan Sumo Association said Friday a sumo wrestler tested positive for the new coronavirus for the first confirmed case in the country's ancient sport.
- The government said Friday it plans to postpone this month's ceremonies to celebrate Crown Prince Fumihito's ascent to first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, while Emperor Naruhito described the coronavirus outbreak as "a great challenge to mankind."
- Kyoto will request the central government to add it to prefectures placed under a state of emergency amid the coronavirus epidemic, local authorities said Friday.
- The U.N. Security Council convened its first meeting to discuss responses to the coronavirus pandemic as the United States and China remain at odds over the naming of the virus.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved out of intensive care Thursday but remains in hospital to continue treatment for the new coronavirus, his office said.
- After voluntarily putting itself on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japan's sports world was dealt another setback after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures on Tuesday to curb an alarming rise in infections.
- Japan is considering an expansion of its state of emergency declared earlier this week amid the coronavirus outbreak to include other areas of the country as some prefectures also seek to be covered by the emergency measures, a government official said.
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan
- NEW! 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