As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, April 14
- The Tokyo Olympic torch relay will not run on public roads in the western Japan city of Matsuyama next week due to concern over the strain on the medical system as COVID-19 cases creep up again in many parts of the country, organizers said Wednesday.
- Osaka Prefecture on Wednesday reported a record 1,130 daily coronavirus cases, as the area struggles with a surge in the number of people infected with a highly contagious variant of the virus amid concerns that Japan has entered a "fourth wave" of infections.
- The head of the government's coronavirus panel warned Wednesday that Japan has entered a "fourth wave" of infections, expressing a sense of crisis over the situation as highly contagious variants are spreading in several parts of the country.
- Japan on Wednesday marked 100 days to go until the Tokyo Olympics despite many questions remaining unanswered over how the games can be held safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- U.S. health authorities on Tuesday called for a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine, citing cases of a "rare and severe type of blood clot" in individuals who had recently received the shot.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, April 13
- India's health ministry said Tuesday it has approved Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use against the coronavirus, making it one of only three COVID-19 vaccines registered by the country's regulatory authorities.
- Daily coronavirus cases in Osaka Prefecture reached 1,099 on Tuesday, topping 1,000 for the first time, as the western Japan prefecture and other urban areas have imposed stronger steps to fight a resurgence of infections.
- Japan's powerful business lobby Keidanren said Tuesday it is lifting the ban it introduced on the use of hand dryers in restrooms in offices and production sites, after concluding the risk of spreading the coronavirus from their use is negligible.
- Japan's COVID-19 vaccine minister on Tuesday warned local governments against letting doses go to waste as the country expands its inoculation campaign to the elderly.
- Torchbearers for this summer's Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday ran through an empty park in Osaka after the flame relay in the western Japan prefecture was re-routed from public roads due to a sharp rebound in coronavirus infections.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - April 3~9