(New York)
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, April 23 (Japan time)
- Sharp Corp. said Thursday it will switch its online sale of face masks from a first-come, first-served basis to a lottery after a surge in access to its e-commerce website amid the new coronavirus crisis.
- Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Thursday requested residents limit the frequency of grocery shopping to every three days as part of steps to prevent supermarkets becoming too crowded amid the coronavirus epidemic.
- Japanese actress and TV host Kumiko Okae died Thursday of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, her management office said. She was 63.
- Medical experts are urging Japan to test more people for the novel coronavirus and provide their details to grasp the scale of infections in the country, after seeing a recent rise in the rate of people testing positive.
- The Japan Racing Association said Thursday it will extend course closures through May 31 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, meaning the Japanese Derby and a number of other high-profile races will be run behind closed doors.
- An additional 14 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in southwestern Japan have tested positive for coronavirus, Nagasaki prefectural government said Thursday, taking the total to 48.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has enthusiastically promoted anti-influenza drug Avigan as a possible game-changer in the war against the coronavirus, but medical experts have called for caution, citing its side effects and yet unproven efficacy.
- U.S. President Donald Trump played down concerns over a possible second wave of coronavirus infections later in the year, saying it "can never be like anything that we've witnessed right now."
- The Bank of Japan is considering expanding its monetary easing policy by further raising its target for corporate bond and commercial paper purchases in a bid to support companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
- Some leisure spots near Tokyo have seen crowds of visitors recently despite government instruction to stay home amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, prompting local residents and municipalities to voice concerns about further potential spread of the virus.
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.
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