Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, July 22 (Japan time)
- Japan on Wednesday reported a record 750 new daily coronavirus infections, exceeding the previous single-day high set in April, as the country battles a resurgence of the virus after it lifted a state of emergency less than two months ago.
- Japan will begin granting re-entry to foreign residents as it eases a travel ban meant to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday Japan will commence negotiations to resume business travel with some 10 countries and regions including China, South Korea and Taiwan, easing entry bans currently in place to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- Osaka Prefecture confirmed around 120 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, its highest daily tally, Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said.
- Japan's travel subsidy campaign kicked off Wednesday to help revive a domestic tourism industry stricken by the novel coronavirus, but with Tokyo excluded amid concerns about a resurgence in infections in urban areas.
- Tokyo's cumulative coronavirus case total is certain to top the 10,000 mark on Wednesday as the capital's governor, Yuriko Koike, said more than 230 new infections are expected to be reported later in the day.
- President Donald Trump on Tuesday struck a sober note on the coronavirus pandemic as cases surge in the United States and his popularity sags, admitting that the situation could "get worse" and encouraging the public to wear masks.
- U.S. authorities said Tuesday they have indicted two Chinese hackers suspected of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of trade secrets and other valuable information from companies worldwide, and also targeting firms developing vaccines for the coronavirus.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, July 21 (Japan time)
- Japan's health ministry has approved the use of the steroid drug dexamethasone for the treatment of novel coronavirus patients, following the approval of remdesivir in May, it came to light on Tuesday.
- Tokyo Olympic organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori rejected on Tuesday the idea of holding the postponed games next summer behind closed doors, saying spectators are an essential part of sports.
- The local organizer of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has started asking its contracted corporate sponsors for additional funds to help cover costs associated with the postponement of the sporting events due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
- Japan's professional basketball and volleyball leagues on Tuesday urged the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to allow the entry of foreign players kept out of the country by a travel ban aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
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