Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
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.
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.
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