Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11:00 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 19 (Japan time)
- A U.S. Navy report on the coronavirus outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt showed that commanding officers had considered individually isolating the some 3,000 crew members, including over 1,000 who later tested positive for the virus, at U.S. military bases in Japan.
- Japan confirmed Wednesday an additional 1,068 cases of the novel coronavirus, with Osaka Prefecture reporting more infections than Tokyo for the first time in three months, local authorities said.
- Japan saw a first goods trade surplus in four months in July as exports to China significantly recovered from a slump due to the fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18 (Japan time)
- The World Health Organization said Tuesday that people in their 20s to 40s are driving the spread of the new coronavirus in Asia, with many showing mild to no symptoms of the disease.
- South Korea decided Tuesday to tighten social distancing measures starting from Wednesday as the number of people newly tested positive for the novel coronavirus continues to show a rapid increase.
- Tokyo confirmed on Tuesday 207 more coronavirus cases, the metropolitan government said.
- Emperor Naruhito and his family have canceled their planned summer retreat to areas outside of Tokyo to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday.
- Alcohol sanitizers and clinical thermometers have become two of the most critical must-have items for those working in the food-service industry in Japan as they struggle to recover from the impact of coronavirus. However, customers are again decreasing this month as the country sees a resurgence in numbers of coronavirus-infected patients.
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As the coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the nation, party conventions will no longer be events that draw tens of thousands of people. The Democratic Party national convention is going almost entirely virtual, and the Republican event to endorse Trump's re-election bid next week will be joined by a limited number of in-person attendees.
- Japan confirmed 15 deaths from the novel coronavirus Monday, the highest in a day since the nationwide state of emergency was lifted in late May, as urban areas continue to battle with high numbers of new cases.
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