As of 11 p.m., Monday, Aug. 17 (Japan time)
- Japan confirmed over 640 new cases of novel coronavirus infection Monday, as Tenri University in Nara Prefecture reported it had suspended the activities of its rugby club after a cluster outbreak was discovered among players.
- The Philippines started its 90-day clinical trials for Avigan on Monday to study the efficacy of the Japanese anti-flu drug against the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
- Despite the historic, yet widely expected contraction in Japan's economy for the April-June period, green shoots are evident, with observers optimistic the country has already bottomed out and is shifting into recovery mode.
- Many schools across Japan reopened Monday after a summer vacation that was shortened to allow students to catch up on classes missed due to earlier closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Sapporo, the capital of the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, is seeing intensifying competition among food delivery firms catering to people who prefer to eat at home amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
- Tenri University in Nara Prefecture said Monday it has confirmed 24 players in its rugby club have been infected with the coronavirus, leading it to suspend team activities.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday the country's general election will be delayed for a month until mid-October due to a recent coronavirus outbreak.
- Japan's economy in the April-June period shrank an annualized real 27.8 percent from the previous quarter, the sharpest contraction on record, as economic activity was restricted under a state of emergency during the new coronavirus outbreak, government data showed Monday.
- Japan's Kei Nishikori said Sunday he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and will skip the Western and Southern Open tournaments scheduled to start later this week in New York.
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16 (Japan time)
- Tokyo reported on Sunday 260 new cases of the novel coronavirus, with the figure remaining above 200 daily infections for the fifth consecutive day.
- Global air traffic will not return to levels before the coronavirus pandemic until 2024, an industry body said, a year later than its earlier projection due to a slower recovery this year.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - August 8~14
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