Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
A Tokyo Olympic torch relay runner passes by the Tower of the Sun at the Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, on April 14, 2021, with the public excluded from the park due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, April 15
- India on Thursday reported over 200,000 fresh coronavirus cases for the first time, with the total so far now exceeding 14 million.
- Osaka Prefecture reported a daily record of 1,208 coronavirus cases on Thursday and Tokyo marked 729, the highest in more than two months, amid deepening concerns about what medical experts call a "fourth wave" of infections in Japan.
- The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is set to be taken off public roads in the main island of Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan next month due to concerns over a recent surge in coronavirus infections, officials familiar with the planning said Thursday.
- The governments of Hokkaido and its capital Sapporo have decided to cancel a 10-kilometer foot race scheduled for next month on the Olympic marathon course, a source with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.
- Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai said Thursday that canceling this summer's Tokyo Olympics may be an option if the spread of coronavirus infections forces organizers to think it would be difficult to hold the event.
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.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - April 3~9
People pray at a memorial ceremony at the Kumamoto prefectural government office in Kumamoto on April 14, 2021, marking the fifth anniversary of the first of a pair of deadly earthquakes that hit the southwestern Japan region. Seats for participants are arranged to maintain social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. (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
