As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24 (Japan time)
- Malaysia's hereditary rulers will meet soon to discuss proposals from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that could include a state of emergency to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which his detractors see as a desperate move to hold on to power.
- Migration to OECD member states nearly halved in the first half of 2020 from a year earlier, marking the biggest fall on record due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Paris-based organization said in a recent report.
- The head of the World Health Organization warned Friday of a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections in Europe and the United States, saying the northern hemisphere is "at a critical juncture."
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23 (Japan time)
- Japan Airlines Co. began offering discounted coronavirus tests to travelers Friday after teaming up with a medical institution in Tokyo, in a bid to ease concerns about infections and encourage customers to travel amid the pandemic.
- The Japanese government will ask companies to extend the upcoming New Year holiday by about one week in a bid to mitigate crowding by people visiting relatives or going on vacation and lower the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus, a Cabinet member said Friday.
- India on Thursday relaxed visa restrictions to allow foreign nationals to enter India by air or sea for any purpose except tourism.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - October 10~16
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