Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
Students have their temperatures checked before entering the venue for their graduation ceremony at Nagoya University in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Sept. 28, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 29 (Japan time)
- The global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 1 million, with confirmed infections at more than 33 million, a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the United States showed Monday.
- Thailand on Tuesday extended its state of emergency for yet another month to control the spread of the coronavirus, while easing restrictions on the entry of foreigners to gradually reopen its vital tourism industry.
As of 11 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28 (Japan time)
- The government will consider easing a rule on eating at movie theaters, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Monday, in an additional relaxation amid a recent decline in the number of novel coronavirus infections.
- SoftBank Group Corp.'s robot making unit on Monday unveiled its new food service robot in a move designed to reduce the risk of coronavirus infections between staff and customers at restaurants and other eateries.
- Many foreign students in Japan who hope to find a job in the country are facing an uphill battle as a pandemic-driven economic downturn has led a number of businesses to cut recruitment.
- India said Monday its coronavirus cases have exceeded the 6 million mark, becoming the only second country to reach the grim milestone after the United States.
- This year's Group of 20 leaders' summit, slated for Nov. 21 and 22, will be held online due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government of Saudi Arabia said Monday.
- A law professor sued the government Monday demanding it reveal the unit price of washable cloth masks, dubbed "Abenomasks," that were distributed for free to all households in Japan amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as how many were ordered from each contractor.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - September 19~25
The Eurospace movie theater in Tokyo begins allowing all seats to be booked on Sept. 19, 2020, as Japan relaxes a rule limiting the size of crowds amid signs of a recent plateauing in nationwide coronavirus cases. Audience members were previously unable to sit next to each other. (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
