People wearing face masks walk near Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, western Japan, on Oct. 3, 2020, on the first weekend after Tokyo was added to the "Go To Travel" subsidy program on Oct. 1 amid continued worries over the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4 (Japan time)
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Japan from Sunday but will not travel to South Korea and Mongolia as earlier planned, the U.S. government said, after President Donald Trump was hospitalized with the novel coronavirus.
- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he is feeling better than before as he battles the novel coronavirus, but suggested the coming days will be crucial to his recovery.
- The Japanese government is already planning to approve the antiviral drug Avigan as a COVID-19 treatment in November even before its developer has filed for regulatory review, government sources said Saturday.
- U.S. President Donald Trump is not yet on a clear path to recovery after contracting the novel coronavirus and the next 48 hours will be "critical" for him, a source familiar with the situation told White House reporters on Saturday.
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 3 (Japan time)
- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday wished U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania a speedy recovery, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
- India said Saturday the death toll from the novel coronavirus has exceeded 100,000, becoming only the third country in the world after the United States and Brazil to surpass this figure.
- U.S. President Donald Trump is "doing very well" and has received antiviral remdesivir therapy after being hospitalized for contracting the novel coronavirus, his physician said Friday.
- Railway stations in Tokyo and airports across Japan were crowded Saturday, the first weekend since travel to and from the capital was included in a government subsidy program.
- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump will recover soon from the COVID-19 illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday sent a message to U.S. President Donald Trump over his contracting of the novel coronavirus, wishing him a speedy recovery, according to Pyongyang's state media.
- With U.S. President Donald Trump infected with the novel coronavirus in the final stretch of his re-election campaign, Americans will decide next month if he will get another four years to revive the virus-hit economy and continue advancing his "America First" policy in trade and diplomacy.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - September 26~October 2
Live pro wrestling is shown to about 40 passengers on a JR Tadami Line train between Niigata and Fukushima prefectures on Oct. 3, 2020. The event is aimed at supporting the train line hit by the July 2011 rain disaster. (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
