Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
About 300 kinds of face mask from around Japan are on sale at an event at Takashimaya department store in Osaka on Oct. 7, 2020. (Kyodo)
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8 (Japan time)
- Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Thursday that Japan will contribute more than $130 million to an international framework to ensure that developing countries have fair access to coronavirus vaccines.
- Japan is set to conditionally exempt business travelers and returnees from the 14-day quarantine policy currently imposed on all overseas arrivals to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, government sources said Wednesday.
- Republican Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic rival Sen. Kamala Harris clashed Wednesday over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and their country's standing on the global stage during their first and only debate ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has shown no symptoms of the disease caused by the coronavirus for the past 24 hours and his condition is stable, his physician Sean Conley said Wednesday.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7 (Japan time)
- Next year's Tokyo Marathon will be rescheduled from March to the fall due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
- An adviser to the government on steps to contain the danger of novel coronavirus infections at next year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics says the public should be prepared to see some spike in cases as a result of the mass gatherings.
- Japan Post Co. unveiled to the press Wednesday a self-driving mail delivery robot, the first of its kind on a public road in Japan, as demand grows for minimizing human contact amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- Coronavirus infections have been increasing rapidly in some parts of Southeast Asia where Japanese firms have operations, raising concerns about possible disruptions to their business.
- Popular Japanese actress Suzu Hirose has been infected with the novel coronavirus without experiencing any symptoms so far, her agency said Tuesday.
- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed his desire to face off with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for a planned debate next week, as he appears to be recovering from the novel coronavirus he contracted last week.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - September 26~October 2
Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 7, 2020, shows Super Nintendo World, a new attraction area featuring the popular video game character Mario, to open at the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka next spring. Its original opening scheduled for the summer of 2020 was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (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
