Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Friday, June 26 (Japan time)
- The daily number of new coronavirus cases reported in Japan on Friday topped 100 for the first time since May 9.
- British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc said Friday it has agreed with the Japanese government to promote talks on supplying Japan with the experimental coronavirus vaccine it is jointly developing with the University of Oxford.
- Nintendo Co. President Shuntaro Furukawa said Friday that production of Switch game consoles, which could not keep up with the surge in demand due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, is likely to return to normal soon.
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Japan's shareholder meetings peaked Friday with some 700 companies holding their annual gathering. However, the coronavirus pandemic has forced a change in how the meetings are staged, with some companies opting for virtual meetings and others scaled-down events to prevent the spread of the virus.
- The Oze National Park will be fully accessible for the hiking season from next week, but with rescue services limited by the coronavirus pandemic, the park's preservation body said Friday.
- As the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic ripple across Japan, foreign asylum seekers are among the hardest hit, seeing the support available to them curtailed just as times get tougher during a process that can take years and rarely results in success.
- Seattle Mariners pitcher Yusei Kikuchi said Thursday he will start the coronavirus-shortened MLB season at full throttle following the decision earlier this week to hold Opening Day in late July.
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As of 11 p.m., Thursday, June 25 (Japan time)
- The organizer of the Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's largest gaming industry events, said Thursday it will hold this year's event online from Sept. 24 to 27 to lessen the risk of novel coronavirus infection.
- Travel from Japan to Vietnam resumed Thursday in a first step after the easing of travel restrictions imposed to fight the novel coronavirus.
- Medical startup Anges Inc. said Thursday it will soon start Japan's first clinical test on humans of a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus, after gaining formal approval from an Osaka City University Hospital committee.
- The women's professional golf tour in Japan opened its season on Thursday following a roughly four-month delay due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, with the first round of the Earth Mondahmin Cup held behind closed doors.
- Australia's national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd. said Thursday it will cut at least 6,000 jobs, or roughly one-fifth of its total workforce, and raise up to AU$1.9 billion ($1.3 billion) to accelerate its recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
- New York City's marathon, scheduled to be held on Nov. 1, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organizer said Wednesday.
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