Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25 (Japan time)
- The J-League decided Tuesday to continue capping spectator numbers at 5,000 per game until the end of September in accordance with government guidelines on stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday people opposing a China-backed plan for universal coronavirus testing are politically motivated and aim to sabotage Hong Kong's relationship with China.
- Schools in South Korea's capital Seoul and its surrounding areas will close and go once again to online classes amid a worsening coronavirus outbreak, the Education Ministry said Tuesday.
- The government said Tuesday 98.6 percent of households in Japan have received the one-off 100,000 yen ($940) cash handouts meant to help cushion the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
- A biotechnology startup in southwestern Japan said Tuesday it will start human clinical trials for a drug to treat COVID-19 in 2021.
- Japan will allow foreign trainees who are unable to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic even after their technical internship programs have ended to switch jobs and stay in the country from early September, the government said Tuesday.
As of 11 p.m., Monday, Aug. 24 (Japan time)
- Hong Kong has restarted discussions with Japan and a handful of other countries over setting up travel bubbles, commerce chief Edward Yau said Monday, given a mutually recognized coronavirus testing mechanism is established.
- Japan decided Monday to keep limiting the maximum number of spectators at professional sports, concerts and other events to 5,000 until the end of September, although the spread of the novel coronavirus has shown some signs of abating, government officials said Monday.
- Japan and Myanmar agreed Monday to reopen borders for expatriates as soon as early September relaxing travel restrictions that were imposed to stem the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic.
- More than 2 million people have used Japan's travel subsidy campaign since it kicked off in July in a bid to revive a domestic tourism industry hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the country's top government spokesperson said Monday.
- Tokyo confirmed an additional 95 coronavirus infections on Monday, marking the lowest daily figure in more than a month, the metropolitan government said.
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