Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
Photo taken on April 7, 2021, shows cherry blossoms at the Japan Mint head office in Osaka. The famous cherry blossom viewing site is closed to the public for the second consecutive year amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 9:20 p.m., Thursday, April 8
- Kyoto University Hospital said Thursday it has performed the world's first living donor lung transplant on a patient who lost functionality of both her lungs due to infection from the novel coronavirus.
- Thursday marked one year since the 76-day lockdown was lifted in China's central city of Wuhan, the first epicenter of the novel coronavirus pandemic, with many citizens still disgruntled by the government's response to the outbreak.
- Japan's daily cases of the new coronavirus on Thursday topped 3,000 for the second day in a row as fears over the impact of the sharp rebound on the country's medical system and the economy continue to intensify.
- Privately run coronavirus testing centers at Tokyo's Haneda airport for boarding passengers opened to the media on Thursday ahead of their official opening two days later.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Thursday he intends to designate Tokyo for stronger measures to combat COVID-19 amid a sharp rebound in infections and mounting pressure on hospitals.
- Japan's government is considering moving athletes representing the country at this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccination, an official with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, April 7
- Japan's government is considering moving athletes representing the country at this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccination, an official with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.
- The torch relay for this summer's Tokyo Olympics will not take place on roads across Osaka Prefecture next week due to a surge in coronavirus infections, Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Wednesday.
- Japan reported Wednesday more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases for a single day, the highest in over two months, with major metropolitan areas seeing a spike in infections.
- The people of Damascus, the Syrian capital, and its surrounding areas say that they feel "suffocated" even as the shelling has stopped and President Bashar al-Assad retains power with Syria's civil war now entering its 11th year.
Osaka's landmark Tsutenkaku Tower is lit up in red on April 7, 2021, as the western Japan prefecture logs a record 878 new cases of coronavirus the same day. (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
