Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8 (Japan time)
- Japanese prefectural governors on Saturday asked the central government to increase the amount of extraordinary grants for local governments to fund various measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Saturday reported 429 new cases of coronavirus infection, surpassing the 400 mark for the second straight day.
- Japan's summer holiday season started quietly on Saturday, with no congestion at stations and airports after local governments asked residents to avoid travelling to help keep the coronavirus spread from worsening.
- Japanese restaurant chain operator Saizeriya Co. said Friday it has "developed" a face mask for use when eating and drinking, possibly a boon to eateries around the world hit hard by social distancing necessitated by the coronavirus.
- The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in Africa has topped the 1 million mark, with the death tally now standing at more than 22,000, the World Health Organization said Friday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - August 1-7
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Aug. 7 (Japan time)
- Japan confirmed a record 1,580 new coronavirus infections on Friday, as cases continue to mount throughout the country, particularly in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka.
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said Friday it will produce and sell in Japan a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by U.S. biotechnology firm Novavax Inc.
- India reported Friday that its coronavirus cases have doubled in three weeks to over 2 million, a sign the world's second-most populous country is struggling to slow the spread of the virus.
- Teachers and education officials are calling for students to pay special heed to the risk of heat exhaustion this summer, as many schools across Japan shorten their summer holidays and hold more classes than usual to make up for closures due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
- A Philippine health official said Friday that a clinical trial for the Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan as a potential treatment for COVID-19 has yet to begin, correcting an announcement earlier this week by the nation's science secretary that it was already ongoing.
- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday reported 462 new cases of coronavirus infection, just short of the daily record of 472 cases confirmed in the capital late last week.
- Japan's household spending fell 1.2 percent in June from a year earlier, down for the ninth straight month, but showed signs of recovery from record falls logged due to the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Friday.
- The Japanese government is expected to soon reach a deal with British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc on receiving a supply of over 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine being developed with the University of Oxford, a source close to the matter said Friday.
- The U.S. government on Thursday lifted its alert advising Americans to avoid all international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the current situation does not warrant such an across-the-board advisory.
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