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.
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19
- Japan on Thursday logged a record 2,385 new coronavirus cases, marking fresh highs for the second consecutive day as the number of new cases in Tokyo also topped 500 for the first time since the pandemic began.
- Tokyo's new coronavirus cases on Thursday topped 500 for the first time since the pandemic began, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga saying Japan is on "maximum alert" and calling on people to do all they can to prevent infections.
- Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said it plans to apply for emergency use authorization in the United States for a potential COVID-19 vaccine "within days," as it has shown the vaccine to be effective in clinical study.
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