As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21
- Japan will limit the use of its "Go To Travel" subsidy program aimed at promoting domestic tourism due to a recent resurgence of novel coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Saturday.
- As the novel coronavirus pandemic in Japan forces people to spend more time at home, nearly 20 percent of wives and husbands said in a survey that their relationships had improved due to increased communication.
- U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday stressed the importance of worldwide access to vaccines against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, saying it is the only way to stop the pandemic.
- Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Friday became the first U.S. company to apply for emergency use authorization for its experimental coronavirus vaccine, marking a major step in the country's fight against the pandemic.
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20
- Major travel agency JTB Corp. said Friday it will reduce its global workforce by 6,500 under broad restructuring, as it reported its largest-ever net loss for a fiscal first half on slumping tourism demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
- India said Friday its coronavirus cases have exceeded the 9 million mark, becoming only the second country after the United States to reach the grim milestone.
- With Japan witnessing a rapid rise in the number of new coronavirus cases in recent weeks, health care workers fear that the country's medical system may soon be strained to breaking point with hospital bed shortages becoming commonplace, especially in big cities.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday the government will continue its "Go To Travel" domestic tourism promotion campaign despite growing worries about a resurgence of the novel coronavirus in Japan.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - November 14 ~ 20
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