Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
People wearing face masks walk in Osaka's Dotombori area on April 21, 2021. The Japanese government plans to impose a fresh coronavirus state of emergency in Osaka, neighboring Hyogo Prefecture and Tokyo soon, as a surge in severe cases chokes the areas' health care systems. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, April 22
- The Japanese government is considering placing Tokyo and three western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo under a state of emergency from Sunday to May 11, covering the country's upcoming string of holidays, in an attempt to curb surging COVID-19 infections, a senior official said Thursday.
- Japan's richest people accumulated more wealth over the past year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with their collective wealth jumping nearly 50 percent, Forbes Asia reported Thursday.
- A police officer who engaged in traffic control duties during the Tokyo Olympic torch relay in western Japan last week has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, organizers said Thursday, the first such case confirmed among those involved in the event.
- The Tokyo Motor Show scheduled for this fall will be canceled due to a resurgence of coronavirus infections, Akio Toyoda, chairman of its organizer the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said Thursday.
- India reported Thursday that its tally of new daily coronavirus cases has topped 300,000 for the first time, as the South Asian nation of over 1.3 billion people grapples with a new wave of infections and a shortage of hospital beds.
- International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach on Wednesday expressed support for the Japanese government's plan to impose a fresh coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo but said the decision is unrelated to the approaching games.
- The organizing committee of this summer's Tokyo Olympics may not make a final decision until as late as June on how many spectators will be allowed to enter games venues, its president suggested Wednesday, as Japan has been struggling with a resurgence of coronavirus infections.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, April 21
- A health ministry panel on Wednesday approved rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib for COVID-19 treatment, the third such case in Japan.
- North Korea still claims no infection cases with the novel coronavirus have been confirmed at home although it has so far carried out tests on around 24,000 people, according to a recent report released by the World Health Organization.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has called off a planned visit to India and the Philippines, apparently due to a resurgence of coronavirus infections in Japan, government sources said Wednesday.
- The government plans to impose a fresh coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures soon as a surge in severe cases chokes the areas' health care systems, according to government sources.
- Japan expects to receive 50 million additional doses of the Pfizer Inc. COVID-19 vaccine after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called on the pharmaceutical firm to boost supplies, government sources said Wednesday.
- The organizing committee of this summer's Tokyo Olympics is considering delaying until June its decision on how many spectators will be allowed to enter games venues, due to a resurgence of coronavirus infections in many parts of Japan, an official with knowledge of the schedule said Wednesday.
- More people in Japan are getting their boating licenses, as the coronavirus pandemic has fueled interest in outdoor activities and increasingly lured them to marine leisure, a licensing organization recently said.
- The Tokyo Games organizers are set to hold an athletics test event on May 9 without spectators due to the rising number of coronavirus infections in the capital, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
- Athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be tested for the novel coronavirus on a daily basis, predominantly through saliva-based tests, in an effort to detect potential infections at an early stage, officials with knowledge of the planning said Tuesday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - April 10~16
People wearing face masks walk in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on April 21, 2021. The Japanese government plans to soon impose a fresh coronavirus state of emergency in Hyogo, neighboring Osaka Prefecture and Tokyo as a surge in severe cases chokes the areas' health care systems. (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
