Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Monday, July 27 (Japan time)
- The welfare ministry decided Monday to include measures to respond to infectious diseases and natural disasters for the first time in a planned revision of Japan's basic guidelines on nursing care programs run by local authorities.
- The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. group said Monday it will take firmer measures against the coronavirus pandemic by letting 70 percent or more of its employees work from home, up from the previous target of 50 percent or more.
- The number of Tokyo's confirmed new coronavirus cases in July topped 5,000 on Monday, accounting for around 45 percent of its cumulative total after the metropolitan government reported another 131 infections.
- Hong Kong will further tighten social distancing rules as daily coronavirus cases have continued trending upward in the past weeks, the government said Monday.
- Japan's health ministry will conduct its first nationwide survey possibly next month to look into how the new coronavirus pandemic has affected mental health, according to ministry and other sources.
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, July 26 (Japan time)
- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Sunday reported 239 new cases of coronavirus infection, an official said, as the country maintained its guard amid a spike in infections in urban areas.
- The J-League called off a game between Nagoya Grampus and Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Sunday after three people in the Nagoya club tested positive for coronavirus, marking the league's first match cancellation since it resumed in June following a four-month suspension.
- As companies close offices in central Tokyo or encourage employees to work from home due to coronavirus pandemic worries, young people are relocating to the suburbs where rents are cheaper, space less at a premium and nature nearer the doorstep.
- Japan is paving the way for autonomous delivery robots to become part of everyday life, with social distancing efforts required during the coronavirus pandemic making the push all the more vital.
- A first suspected case of the new coronavirus in North Korea has been detected, prompting leader Kim Jong Un to convene an emergency meeting of the ruling party, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Sunday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 11-17
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