Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
People wearing face masks are seen at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Oct. 3, 2020, on the first weekend after Tokyo was added to the "Go To Travel" subsidy program on Oct. 1. Tokyo was excluded from the government's campaign aimed at boosting tourism battered by the coronavirus pandemic when it started in July due to a spike in coronavirus infections at the time. (Kyodo)
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16 (Japan time)
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday vowed to revive inbound tourism, which has been battered by the novel coronavirus pandemic, by compiling measures within the year.
- Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said Friday one of its subsidiaries has applied for government approval to market the anti-viral drug Avigan for COVID-19 treatment in Japan
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15 (Japan time)
- Pakistan's planning minister on Thursday warned of another large-scale lockdown in the country, saying there are "unmistakable signs" of a rise in coronavirus cases due to people ignoring safety measures.
- Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed in principle to create an air travel bubble between them that will not require quarantine upon arrival, the Singapore government said Thursday.
- Japan will test measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus at events with large numbers of spectators in a trial late this month in a nearly-packed baseball stadium in Yokohama, officials said Thursday.
- A record 96,000 households in Japan have received rent support from the government due to falling incomes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, welfare ministry data showed Thursday.
- Finance chiefs of the Group of 20 major economies agreed Wednesday to extend their debt relief program for poor nations by six months beyond the end of the year to allow them to continue to take measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14 (Japan time)
- The parent company of All Nippon Airways Co. plans to acquire 400 billion yen ($3.8 billion) in loans from five Japanese banks as the airline operator's earnings have sharply deteriorated under the novel coronavirus, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
- Finance chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies are expected to agree Wednesday to extend their debt relief for developing countries hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic, conference sources said.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - October 3~9
Photo taken in Singapore on Oct. 4, 2020, shows a free vending machine for face masks. (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
