(Tokyo)
List of shops to close in Tokyo this weekend (April 4-5)
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, April 4 (Japan time)
- Japan is considering boosting the stockpile of the antiviral drug Avigan to three times the current amount for use in treating 2 million people infected with the new coronavirus, sources with knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
- Wearing face masks to fight the coronavirus outbreak has become increasingly prevalent in the United States and Europe after they saw relatively slow rises in infection numbers in Japan and South Korea, where people routinely put on masks in winter to prevent diseases, health experts say.
- China on Saturday mourned the thousands of victims who have died from the new pneumonia-causing coronavirus, with the leadership apparently trying to underscore that the country has successfully slowed the pace of new infections.
- Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish expressed concern Friday about the rising incidence of anti-Asian discrimination in the United States amid the coronavirus crisis.
- At least 118 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Tokyo on Saturday, a metropolitan government official said, the first time the daily increase has topped 100.
- The LPGA announced the postponement Friday of its next five tour events, including the U.S. Women's Open, in response to the coronavirus crisis.
- Far fewer people were on the streets of shopping areas in Tokyo and other cities in Japan on Saturday, after authorities issued stay-at-home requests in the wake of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus.
- U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said Friday it will advise Americans to wear cloth masks or face coverings in public as part of efforts to blunt the spread of the new coronavirus.
As of 11 p.m., Friday, April 3 (Japan time)
- Tokyo residents will be asked to refrain from leaving their homes but essential services will remain in operation should Japan declare a state of emergency due to the novel coronavirus, Gov. Yuriko Koike said Friday.
- Citizens have stepped up criticism against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his plan to distribute two cloth face masks to each of the roughly 50 million households in Japan, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
- The Japanese government is considering offering the anti-influenza drug Avigan for free to countries looking to use it to treat new coronavirus patients, its top government spokesman said Friday.
- The Immigration Services Agency of Japan said Friday it will extend for three months the deadline for foreigners to renew their period of stay in a bid to alleviate congestion at immigration counters amid the coronavirus outbreak.
- Advocates for bar hostesses and sex workers have urged the government to reconsider its exclusion of them from compensation for parents unable to work because of school closures, noting they are among the most vulnerable members of society.
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
(Narita airport)