Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, July 14 (Japan time)
- Japan has urged the United States to take steps to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus following outbreaks on U.S. military bases in Okinawa Prefecture, Foreign Ministry officials said Tuesday.
- A U.S. economist with a focus on the sports business says the International Olympic Committee should shoulder half of the additional cost of postponing the Tokyo Games due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
- The Japanese government is considering issuing business suspension requests to host clubs and other similar establishments that have not taken sufficient measures to stem the coronavirus spread, a minister said Tuesday.
- Japan may start operating coronavirus testing centers at major airports and in large cities in September as part of efforts to ease restrictions on international travel, government officials said Tuesday.
- Tokyo on Tuesday confirmed 143 new coronavirus infections, remaining below 200 for the second day in a row, Gov. Yuriko Koike said.
- Japan's Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said Tuesday the government will consider easing travel restrictions for foreign athletes and games officials for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- As the world's top pro tennis tours look to resume from August, Japan-based players are expressing concern about the viability of staging tournaments in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said Monday that the new coronavirus outbreak in his country is expected to peak in August or September, three or four months later than earlier estimated.
- Hong Kong Disneyland will shut down again beginning Wednesday amid an uptick in the number of novel coronavirus infections in the region, the Walt Disney Co. said Monday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 4-10
As of 11 p.m., Monday, July 13 (Japan time)
- A U.S. Marine base in Okinawa, southwestern Japan, has confirmed 32 more new coronavirus cases, the Okinawa prefectural government said Monday.
- Japanese cosmetics maker Shiseido Co. said Monday it will begin selling hand sanitizers to the general public from early August, responding to popular demand for the product it started making available for medical institutions three months ago.
- Tokyo reported on Monday 119 new coronavirus infections, falling below 200 for the first time in five days, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said.
- The Japan Sumo Association said Monday it will allow spectators to attend its July grand tournament in Tokyo despite a recent rise in the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in the Japanese capital.
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