Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11:00 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1 (Japan time)
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday appeared for the first time in public since April without wearing his much-touted government-sponsored mask, which has been derided as a symbol of his administration's out-of-step policy against the coronavirus pandemic.
- Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo reopened Saturday for public performances for the first time in five months after taking measures against the novel coronavirus that had prompted its closure.
- Japan confirmed on Saturday at least 1,123 new coronavirus infections, topping the 1,000 mark for the fourth straight day, as authorities in large cities have been forced to reimpose restrictions on some businesses to address the resurgence of the virus.
- As the rainy season ends, Japan is entering summer without its typical scenes of festivals, fireworks and open beaches this year as the novel coronavirus continues to spread in the country.
- Vietnamese health authorities said Friday that a 70-year-old man being treated for COVID-19 in central Vietnam has become the country's first person to die of the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 25-31
As of 11 p.m., Friday, July 31 (Japan time)
- Japan confirmed 1,307 new coronavirus infections on Friday, marking the third straight day of record daily increase, while the Tokyo and Osaka governments said they will consider making stronger requests for some businesses to shorten their hours or even temporarily close.
- Japan said Friday it has agreed to receive a supply of 120 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine for 60 million people by the end of June next year from U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech SE., if they succeed in developing the vaccine.
- With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic, food trucks in Tokyo are spending the summer serving up hot meals to front-line medical workers free of charge with costs covered by the public through crowdfunding.
- One of Japan's largest beer gardens opened Friday at a park in the city of Sapporo in the country's north, but the event has been scaled down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday floated the idea of delaying the November presidential election, although he has no authority to do so, as the Republican incumbent faces a tough battle against his Democratic rival Joe Biden amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- The U.S. economy dived an annualized real 32.9 percent in the April to June period amid the coronavirus pandemic, the worst quarterly deterioration since comparable data became available in 1947, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
- The Japanese government is considering stockpiling most of the additional cloth masks it intended to deliver mainly to nursing care facilities to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus following criticism of the plan from opposition parties and some members of the public, a government source said Thursday.
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