Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:

Parisians walk across the Pont des Arts bridge wearing face masks since the city made the wearing of a mask compulsory after the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the city on September 14, 2020 in Paris, France.(Getty/Kyodo)

As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15 (Japan time)

• The Hong Kong government announced Tuesday a relaxation of social distancing measures, saying after two weeks of mass testing that the coronavirus pandemic appears to be under control.
  
  
• Educational institutions in Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed back the first batch of students in a phased reopening after a six-month break due to COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday decided to use 1.64 trillion yen ($15.5 billion) in reserve funds for fiscal 2020 to beef up the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, including contributions to an international framework to develop vaccines.
  
  
• The coronavirus pandemic has forced society to reshape how people interact, and robots are fast filling the void, even to the point of helping alleviate feelings of loneliness in a world where social distancing has become the new norm.

As of 11 p.m., Monday, Sept. 14 (Japan time)

• Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land Co. said Monday it will cut its semiannual bonus payments for about 4,000 of its employees by 70 percent this winter due to a sharp decline in revenue in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
  
  
• The Japan Rugby Football Union confirmed Monday that the Brave Blossoms will not be in action in 2020, citing a lack of preparation needed to take on Tier 1 nations and continued uncertainty regarding international travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• The government on Monday began distributing population questionnaires for the census conducted every five years, with survey officials taking steps this time to minimize person-to-person contact amid the coronavirus pandemic and to collect a half of responses online.
  
  
• About 150 Japanese flight attendants at United Airlines Inc. based in Narita, near Tokyo, are at risk of losing their jobs by Oct. 1 when the U.S. carrier closes three of its international bases, their union has said.
  
  
• More terminal cancer patients and others with serious illnesses in Japan are choosing home care rather than hospitalization amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - September 5~11

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Sumo wrestlers stand as Hakkaku, chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, speaks on the first day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sept. 13, 2020. The number of spectators at the tournament is being limited to 2,500 per day amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) 

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