Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
Police officers wearing protective suits head for a night club, where the staff are male and the clientele largely female, in the Kabukicho area of Tokyo's Shinjuku district on Sept. 24, 2020. Police searched the club as a worker there was arrested for attempted fraud, donning the suits amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus in the area. (Kyodo)
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.
As of 11:00 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 27 (Japan time)
- The coronavirus pandemic has heightened distress felt by unmarried Japanese couples in long-term relationships as they face the prospect that, should one become ill, they would not be afforded the same rights as married couples.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - September 19~25
An employee at a restaurant in Pyongyang disinfects a door on Sept. 23, 2020, amid concern about 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
