As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12
- Japan on Thursday confirmed more than 1,600 new coronavirus cases, a record daily high since the outbreak of the virus early this year, amid signs of a resurgence in infections nationwide as the winter season approaches.
- Japan is planning to exempt foreign visitors for next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics from its 14-day quarantine requirement if they are from countries or regions with relatively fewer novel coronavirus cases, a government panel said Thursday.
- Four ski jumping World Cup events scheduled for January and February in Sapporo next year have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said Thursday.
- Japan is set to maintain restrictions on attendance at events such as professional sports games until the end of February as the head of the government's coronavirus response on Thursday warned of a worrying rise in infections.
- The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations kicked off their annual summit Thursday, gathering virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima said Wednesday he will ask the government to relax coronavirus quarantine measures for players returning to the country from overseas.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11
- Japan reported Wednesday a near-record 1,547 cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest level since early August, amid signs of what some health experts say is a "third wave" of infections as cooler temperatures arrive and people spend more time indoors without enough ventilation.
- Tokyo on Wednesday confirmed 317 new cases of the novel coronavirus, topping the 300 mark for the first time since Aug. 20, amid signs of a resurgence in infections in various parts of the country as cooler temperatures arrive and people spend more time indoors.
- Tokyo stocks closed up Wednesday, extending their winning streak to seven days and lifting the benchmark Nikkei to an over 29-year high, on growing expectations of an early global economic recovery following progress in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
- With U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly calling the novel coronavirus the "Chinese virus," many Asian Americans have been exposed to adverse experiences because of their race or ethnicity.
- Japan is considering exempting spectators from abroad for next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics from the 14-day quarantine period, a measure currently imposed in principle on international travelers to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, government sources said Tuesday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - October 31 ~ November 6
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