Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27 (Japan time)
- The Japan Rugby Football Union has decided not to take part in an eight-team international tournament involving the European Six Nations and Fiji later this year, a source said Thursday.
- The resurgence of coronavirus cases in South Korea is starting to have an impact on the nation's governance, with the parliament shut down Thursday and some ruling party lawmakers quarantined at home.
- The Tokyo metropolitan government has decided to extend a request to establishments serving alcohol and karaoke venues to shorten business hours until Sept. 15, as part of efforts to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, an official said Thursday.
- Japan's Kei Nishikori said Wednesday on his official app that he will skip the U.S. Open despite testing negative for the novel coronavirus, citing a lack of practice for the tournament slated to begin next week.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 26 (Japan time)
- Online streaming of videos of Kabuki plays, including an adaptation of a manga and an animated film by Oscar-winning Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, began on Wednesday amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
- Japan raised its travel advisory Wednesday for 13 countries mainly in Africa, warning against traveling there amid concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday confirmed 236 additional cases of the novel coronavirus, with the number of infections rising after falling to double digits earlier this week.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - August 15~21
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"
- Available in Simple Japanese and English, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Also available in Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese on designated weekdays. Check schedule here.
03-6233-9266 - 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