Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
People wearing face masks walk in front of JR Osaka Station on Jan. 6, 2021, as the western Japan prefecture confirms a record 560 coronavirus infections the same day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 7
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area on Thursday, authorizing more robust measures to fight a recent surge in coronavirus infections.
- People in Japan on Thursday expressed anxiety about how their lives and businesses will be impacted by the imposition of another state of emergency in Tokyo and neighboring areas following record numbers of coronavirus cases.
- Tokyo reported a record 2,447 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, metropolitan government officials said, as the Japanese capital prepares to come under stricter measures to contain the pandemic.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 6
- Japan's daily coronavirus infections totaled 6,004 cases, topping 6,000 for the first time since the start of the outbreak last year, a Kyodo News tally based on official data showed Wednesday.
- The number of people using the shinkansen and conventional train services operated by Japan Railway companies plunged 68 percent during the year-end and New Year period from a year earlier to 4,879,000, marking the lowest level since comparable data were made available in 1991, six JR companies said Wednesday.
- Tokyo's daily coronavirus infections totaled a record 1,591 on Wednesday, officials said, as the rapid spread of infections shows no sign of abating across Japan.
- Yuichi Sugita, Japan's third-highest ranked male tennis player, revealed on Twitter late Tuesday evening he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - December 26~January 1
A large screen in Tokyo's Shibuya area shows the news of Japan's daily coronavirus infections topping 5,000 for the first time since the start of the outbreak in 2020. (Kyodo) ==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
