As of 11 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12
- Japan's health ministry panel on Friday greenlit the coronavirus vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. to become the first approved for use in Japan, officials said, as the first batch of doses arrived in the country.
- The Australian Open tennis tournament will continue without spectators, officials said Friday after Victorian state leaders announced a five-day lockdown due to a coronavirus cluster linked to a quarantine hotel in Melbourne.
- The Japanese government decided Friday against lifting the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo and other regions this week ahead of the March 7 end date, as hospitals continue to be under pressure despite a decline in infections.
- Japan's health ministry is planning to move ahead with a formal approval of the coronavirus vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Sunday, when the first batch of doses is scheduled to arrive in the country, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday.
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11
- With the Lunar New Year holidays coming, China's drastic "zero corona" policy has baffled Japanese workers in Beijing, most of who have been forced to continue to stay in the capital for more than one year.