(Tokyo)
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, April 2 (Japan time)
- Sony Corp. said Thursday it has set up a $100 million fund to help the medical, education and entertainment sectors in and outside Japan fight the global spread of the new coronavirus.
- China on Thursday reported 35 new cases of symptomatic coronavirus infection for the mainland, all in people arriving at its border after contracting the virus.
- At least 97 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Tokyo on Thursday, the biggest daily increase yet, a metropolitan government source said, as the capital struggles with a recent surge in the number of cases.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday new coronavirus infections have not reached the point across Japan to declare a state of emergency, but the country should remain vigilant against an explosive surge.
- Social media users have been getting creative recently in posting images of a legendary Japanese "yokai" monster said to have emerged from the sea and prophesied an epidemic, uploading them alongside messages wishing for a swift end to the coronavirus outbreak
- Japan Airlines Co. executives will voluntarily take a 10 percent cut in monthly remuneration from April to June as a cost-cutting measure after the global coronavirus pandemic forced it to sharply reduce flights, a source close to the matter said Thursday.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering canceling his trip to Moscow in May amid the global coronavirus pandemic, Japanese government officials said Thursday.
- This summer's Wimbledon championships will not go ahead "due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic," organizers said, marking the first postwar cancellation of the iconic grand slam.
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The flame for the Tokyo Olympics, which has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic,was put on public display Thursday at J-Village, a soccer training center in Fukushima Prefecture.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, April 1 (Japan time)
- A Japanese government panel of experts on Wednesday warned of a health care system collapse if a sharp increase in coronavirus infections seen recently in urban areas continues, stressing the need for people in areas seeing an accelerating spread to keep outings to a minimum.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday the government will distribute cloth face masks to roughly 50 million households in Japan as stocks of disposable masks have run out at drugstores and other shops amid the coronavirus outbreak.
- Japan said Wednesday it will deny entry to foreign nationals travelling from a total of 73 countries and regions, or about a third of the world, expanding its ban to include the Americas and Africa to address the continued rise in global coronavirus infections.
- China on Wednesday began publishing a daily coronavirus update with asymptomatic cases, in response to growing public concern that "silent" carriers may cause another outbreak as more people return to work after lockdowns are relaxed.
- The coronavirus pandemic could kill at least 100,000 people in the United States even when mitigation measures are fully in place, the government said.
- Subaru Corp. will halt all global auto production for approximately three weeks due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in a loss in output of 70,000 units.
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
(Pyongyang)