Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
(Fukaya city office in Saitama Prefecture)
As of 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 14 (Japan time)
- The global economy is projected to contract by 3.0 percent in 2020 from a year before due to the coronavirus pandemic, a far more severe setback than during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.
- By staying outdoors and away from others, surfers should be relatively free from coronavirus concerns while waiting for their waves, but mixed messages about safety are troubling the surfing community as much as the rest of us.
- The government said Tuesday it has postponed this month's ceremonies to celebrate Crown Prince Fumihito's ascent to first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
- A tuberculosis vaccine is drawing global attention as it may be effective in preventing infection with the new coronavirus, but a lack of evidence so far has prompted medical communities and the World Health Organization to advise against its administration.
- Seat reservations for shinkansen bullet train and limited express services for the upcoming Golden Week holidays have plunged 90 percent to a record low in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, data by six major railway companies showed Tuesday.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday a supplementary budget draft to finance an emergency economic package aimed at cushioning the fallout from the coronavirus epidemic will be submitted to parliament next week.
- To aid society in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, Japanese prisoners have been set to work turning out cloth masks and protective gear to help overcome shortages instead of the leatherware and carpentry goods they usually make.
- The southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto on Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of a pair of massive earthquakes that killed 275 people with a scaled-down ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- Recent decisions by major Japanese retailers including Seven & i Holdings Co. and Takashimaya Co. to forego the release of earnings guidance due to the coronavirus outbreak highlights the seriousness of Japan's consumption slump.
List of shops closed in Tokyo following emergency declaration
As of 10 p.m., Monday, April 13 (Japan time)
- Japanese fiber and biotechnology firm Toyobo Co. said Monday it has developed a test kit capable of detecting the new pneumonia-causing coronavirus within 60 minutes.
- Medium-sized firms in a range of industries across Japan are marshaling their technologies and know-how to produce high-quality, washable masks to meet soaring demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- China on Monday reported 108 new symptomatic coronavirus cases on the mainland, marking the highest number of confirmed infections in a single day in over a month.
- The Japanese public are dissatisfied with the response so far by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet to the coronavirus outbreak, a Kyodo News poll showed Monday, with more than two-thirds of respondents finding its key measures inappropriate.
- With face masks on, many Japanese people headed to work as usual on Monday, the first business day since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a 70 percent reduction in commuters to curb new coronavirus infections.
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