Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
High school students form a human chain around Hypocenter Cenotaph in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 9, 2020, 75 years after the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in World War II. They wore vinyl gloves and formed the chain by using ribbons to prevent coronavirus infections. (Kyodo)
As of 11 p.m., Monday, Aug. 10 (Japan time)
- Japan's total coronavirus cases topped 50,000 Monday, increasing by 10,000 in just one week, as urban centers including Tokyo and Osaka continue to see high levels of infections since the central government fully lifted the nationwide state of emergency in late May.
- New Zealand has recorded zero community transmissions of coronavirus for over 100 days, following a strict nation-wide lockdown earlier in the pandemic.
- More than 60 percent of volunteers registered for next summer's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are worried about how anti-coronavirus measures will be implemented and the format of the events, according to a recent survey by the games' organizers.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - August 1-7
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 9 (Japan time)
- The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 331 coronavirus infections on Sunday, down from 429 the previous day.
- As the summer vacation season arrives, many of Japan's hotels are betting that an emphasis on safety measures rather than low prices will be the best way to attract wary customers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic
- The coronavirus case count in the United States topped 5 million on Saturday, U.S. media reported, demonstrating the pandemic is tightening its grip over the country with the world's highest number of infections and worst death toll
A woman walks past a shop sign requesting customers "apply within" on August 05, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. Many UK businesses are announcing job losses due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. (GettyKyodo)
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
