Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
People wearing face masks walk in Tokyo's Ginza shopping area on Aug. 27, 2020, amid the continued spread of the novel coronavirus. Tokyo reported 250 new cases of the virus the same day. (Kyodo)
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Aug. 28 (Japan time)
- Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu will sit out the International Skating Union's upcoming Grand Prix series due to concerns about the novel coronavirus, the Japan Skating Federation said Friday.
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday Japan will aim to secure COVID-19 vaccinations for all citizens by the first half of 2021.
- An increasing number of companies in Tokyo are downsizing their offices as teleworking spreads in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic -- a trend that looks likely to continue even after the outbreak ends.
- The monthly number of people migrating into Tokyo and its vicinity in July was less than the number of those moving out of the area for the first time, as the capital became the center of a coronavirus resurgence in the country, government data showed Thursday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - August 22~28
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27 (Japan time)
- The Japan Rugby Football Union has decided not to take part in an eight-team international tournament involving the European Six Nations and Fiji later this year, a source said Thursday.
- The resurgence of coronavirus cases in South Korea is starting to have an impact on the nation's governance, with the parliament shut down Thursday and some ruling party lawmakers quarantined at home.
- The Tokyo metropolitan government has decided to extend a request to establishments serving alcohol and karaoke venues to shorten business hours until Sept. 15, as part of efforts to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, an official said Thursday.
- Japan's Kei Nishikori said Wednesday on his official app that he will skip the U.S. Open despite testing negative for the novel coronavirus, citing a lack of practice for the tournament slated to begin next week.
Model dinosaurs are lit up in red as a warning sign in front of JR Fukui Station in Fukui, central Japan, on Aug. 27, 2020, after Fukui Prefecture reported a daily record of 13 new cases of the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)
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
