As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29
- The U.S. economy expanded a record annualized rate of 33.1 percent in real terms in the July-September quarter, bouncing back from a historic 31.4 percent decline in the preceding quarter amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
- China's Communist Party expects the nation's gross domestic product to exceed 100 trillion yuan ($14.9 trillion) in 2020 despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to a communique of its four-day key gathering through Thursday, carried by state-run media.
- Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land Co. said Thursday it expects a net loss of 51.11 billion yen ($490 million) in the fiscal year through next March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Japan reached 100,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday amid a recent uptick in the number of new infections.
- France and Germany on Wednesday announced the imposition of fresh national lockdown measures as Europe grapples with a massive resurgence of coronavirus cases.
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said Thursday it will supply 50 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc. in Japan from the first half of next year.
- India said Thursday its coronavirus cases have surpassed the 8 million mark, adding over a million cases in the past 18 days alone.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Tuesday travelers from Japan will be exempted from the U.S. state's mandatory 14-day quarantine, starting Nov. 6, if they test negative for the novel coronavirus at designated hospitals within 72 hours prior to arrival.
- The Japanese government is considering extending its domestic travel subsidy program beyond late January due to the need for continued support for the struggling tourism industry, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
- The global coronavirus pandemic may not do much to change the long-standing, deep-rooted rivalry between Japan's two major airlines, but it is forcing ANA Holdings Inc. to take a pause in its expansion strategy amid the specter of further financial strains.
- Japan Airlines Co. projects a net loss of between 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion) and 250 billion yen for this fiscal year, turning unprofitable for the first time since relisting on the Tokyo stock market in 2012, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
- Nature lovers on Tuesday morning took in the brilliant red foliage reflected in Tsutanuma pond, a famed spot to view fall colors in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Aomori, under restricted conditions to prevent crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - October 17~23
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