Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato (R) meets the press in Tokyo on April 16, 2021, after finalizing the government's decision in place of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is on a trip to the United States, to add Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama and Aichi to the list of prefectures subject to tougher anti-coronavirus restrictions. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, April 17
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga asked U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Saturday to provide additional supplies of COVID-19 vaccine to Japan, Japanese officials said.
- The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has topped 3 million, with the pace of increase accelerating from mid-March, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed Saturday.
- Tokyo reported 759 daily coronavirus cases Saturday, the highest number since late January, as the country grapples with a resurgence of infections that medical experts describe as a "fourth wave" of the pandemic.
- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga suggested Friday he will prioritize the government's coronavirus response as he weighs when to dissolve Japan's lower house for an election, due by this fall.
- The White House on Friday remained mum on whether President Joe Biden has plans to attend the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, as Japan continues to make preparations to hold the events amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As of 11 p.m., Friday, April 16
- The Philippines will extend its travel ban on new entries for foreigners until April 30, as the number of reported coronavirus cases remains high, the government said Friday.
- China's economy recorded its sharpest quarterly growth on record in the first three months of 2021, expanding 18.3 percent from a year earlier, official data showed Friday, as both domestic and external demand steadily recuperated from the coronavirus crisis.
- The Japanese government decided Friday to expand tougher COVID-19 restrictions to all three of the country's major metropolitan areas centering on Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya as infections surge less than a month after a state of emergency was lifted.
- Japan will co-host a leaders' meeting in June to promote global efforts to ensure fair access to coronavirus vaccines for developing countries, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Thursday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - April 10~16
People wearing masks to protect against the novel coronavirus dance in Pyongyang on April 15, 2021, to celebrate the 109th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's late founder Kim Il Sung. (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)
https://www.seikatubunka.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/chiiki_tabunka/tabunka/tabunkasuishin/0000001452.html - 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/ - Tokyo Metropolitan Government hotline
https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/contacts
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (including weekends and holidays)
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"
https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/hotline/
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day
050-3816-2787
+81-50-3816-2787 (from overseas) - 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
