Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13 (Japan time)
- The J-League on Thursday postponed Sagan Tosu's next three league matches after 10 individuals with the first-division side, including manager Kim Myung Hwi tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the league said.
- Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said Thursday it expects to complete clinical tests in Japan of the antiviral drug Avigan, a potential candidate treatment drug for COVID-19, in September, already behind schedule after a delay caused by difficulty in securing enough patient data.
- Japan and Singapore agreed Thursday to ease travel restrictions implemented in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic from September.
- The Nikkei stock index ended at a nearly six-month high on Thursday, approaching its pre-pandemic levels amid growing hopes for the development of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
- Calls for the government to shift parliamentary sessions online and allow for remote attendance have increased as Japan endures a protracted battle against the coronavirus, but implicit restraints within the Constitution have hindered progress so far.
- About 77 percent of mothers with small children in Japan said they will have fewer plans than last year to go out together during summer break, as the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, according to a recent survey by a toy company.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 12 (Japan time)
- The Asian Football Confederation on Wednesday postponed World Cup qualifying matches scheduled for October and November until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic
- Japan reported over 970 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, as urban centers including Tokyo and Osaka continued to see high levels of infection.
- The J-League has postponed Wednesday's Levain Cup match between Sagan Tosu and Sanfrecce Hiroshima after two members of the Sagan organization, including one player, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
- Tokyo's population has swollen over the years as young people from the regions have been drawn to the big city, but the tide may be turning as perceptions of work and urban life change in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
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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