As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, April 20
- Osaka Prefecture has asked the central government Tuesday to declare another state of emergency covering the area due to the huge strain on its medical system caused by a surge of severe COVID-19 patients, officials said.
As of 11 p.m., Monday, April 19
- Japan tightened Monday its rules on coronavirus test certificates needed to be submitted by all passengers upon arrival at Japanese airports, with those failing to meet required conditions to be denied entry into the country in principle.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday that the government will secure enough COVID-19 vaccines for all eligible citizens by the end of September after an agreement with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on additional supplies.
- The Japanese government will consider allowing dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccines, its top spokesman said Monday, amid concerns there will be a dearth of doctors and nurses once the rollout hits full tilt.
- Japan's exports in March grew 16.1 percent from a year earlier, the largest gain in over three years, as the pace of recovery from the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic picked up on brisk material shipments to China, government data showed Monday.
- Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura suggested Monday he intends to ask the central government to declare a fresh state of emergency in Osaka Prefecture amid a resurgence of novel coronavirus cases.
- Some 22 percent of major companies in Japan are planning to cut new hires for the business year starting next April from the current year, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, indicating many firms remain cautious about the outlook amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - April 10~16