Japan and beyond: The Week in Pictures - May 16-22
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, May 24 (Japan time)
- An Osaka Prefecture-based toothpick manufacturer has released a new product to help people reduce the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus through contact with surfaces -- wooden sticks for pressing buttons in elevators and other public places.
- With the coronavirus pandemic interrupting professional baseball in Japan, the United States and elsewhere around the world, some diehard fans of the sport are getting their fix from an unlikely source.
- Japan is poised to fully lift the state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Hokkaido on Monday, a minister said Sunday, amid a decline in the number of new coronavirus cases and improved medical system.
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Sunday that the United States is spreading a "political virus" vilifying China, urging Washington to cooperate with Beijing to ease the negative effects of the new coronavirus on the global economy.
- The health ministry is considering providing up to 200,000 yen ($1,900) for each medical worker at hospitals treating coronavirus patients across Japan, ministry sources said Sunday, aimed at supporting doctors and nurses facing risk of infection while working on the frontline.
- Gunmen believed to be separatist rebels on Saturday attacked two medical workers fighting the new coronavirus pandemic in Indonesia's restive province of Papua, killing one of them, police and military said.
- Two new coronavirus infections were reported in Tokyo on Saturday, the lowest single-day tally since Japan declared a state of emergency last month, as the government prepares to lift restrictions on the capital and four other prefectures.
- Some major department stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area resumed more of their operations Saturday following a six-week suspension over the novel coronavirus outbreak.
- The sumo world is grappling with its latest crisis as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed the life of a 28-year-old wrestler and forced the cancellation of the sport's showpiece May tournament.
- At least one-third of 86 hospitals designated by the Japanese government to provide advanced treatment have been forced to suspend part of their services such as elective surgeries and emergency care to make room for treatment of new coronavirus patients, a recent Kyodo News survey showed.
- The delivery of face masks as part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's coronavirus-countering efforts began Saturday in the 34 prefectures that had not yet received them, despite the majority by now having no or relatively few cases of infection
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