Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
- Mt. Fuji will be closed to climbers this summer to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- The Japan Sumo Association said Monday antibody testing for the new coronavirus is now available to its roughly 900 members, including wrestlers and stablemasters.
- A U.S. military base in western Japan asked Japanese employees not to send their children to local schools in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the local board of education said Monday.
- Japan's economy in the January-March period shrank an annualized real 3.4 percent from the previous quarter due to the global coronavirus pandemic, a significant contraction for the second consecutive quarter that pushes the world's third-largest economy into recession, government data showed Monday.
- Catholic aid groups in Japan are struggling to continue their charity work for refugees and other foreigners in vulnerable situations as donations have dwindled, affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
As of 11 p.m., Sunday, May 17 (Japan time)
- The Japanese government has decided to ban reselling of disinfectant ahead of reopening the economy across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
- The daily number of new coronavirus cases reported in Tokyo on Sunday dropped to five, the lowest since the capital was placed under a state of emergency on April 7, and the sources of infection could be traced in all these cases, the metropolitan government said.
- Families gather at a community hall where volunteers serve meals for the disadvantaged. Here and there laughter can be heard, the smiles of diners proving contagious -- a scene typical at Japan's many children's cafeterias.
- Undaunted by cancellations of parties and dating opportunities due to the new coronavirus pandemic, many singles in Japan looking for a marriage partner have found a silver lining in virtual gatherings.
- While China's tensions with the United States and Australia have been sharply intensifying over its handling of the new coronavirus outbreak, the Asian power has been apparently aiming to bolster ties with its neighbors -- Japan and South Korea.
- Large Japanese companies are cautious about hiring new graduates in the 2021 business year, as the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy remains unclear, a Kyodo News survey showed Saturday.
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan
- 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 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