Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Monday, May 31
- Japan is considering requiring Tokyo Olympic spectators to present proof of having tested negative for COVID-19 when entering a venue as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.
- The number of visas issued by Japan in 2020 dropped around 87 percent from a year earlier, the sharpest decline since comparable records were made available in 1999, due to pandemic-induced travel restrictions, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
- Hotel Okura Co. said Monday it will open new luxury accommodation in Kyoto in January 2022, anticipating a recovery in demand from inbound and wealthy travelers in a post-coronavirus era.
- The Japanese government on Monday approved Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, the first shot to be made available to children in the country.
- Members of the Australian women's softball team departed Sydney on Monday, set to become the first group of Olympic athletes to arrive in Japan for the Tokyo Games.
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Monday upgraded its forecast for global economic growth this year but cut its projection for Japan, citing a resurgence of coronavirus infections and its slow vaccine rollout.
- Japanese regional airlines Airdo Co. and Solaseed Air Inc. said Monday they will set up a holding company in October 2022 to reduce costs through joint aircraft maintenance and procurement of supplies.
- Japan's so-far sluggish COVID-19 vaccination efforts got a lift Monday as two state-run mass inoculation centers in Tokyo and Osaka got up to full speed one week after their opening.
- Over 30 percent of people in Japan who live with smokers said they have been exposed to more secondhand smoke since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic due to the rise of teleworking, the National Cancer Center Japan said Monday in releasing the results of a survey.
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, May 30
- The coronavirus vaccination rollout for people under 65 in Japan should be carried out at the same time as those with underlying conditions to help speed up the process, the health minister said Sunday.
- Major Japanese airline All Nippon Airways Co. has been offering couples the chance to tie the knot in ceremonies aboard an aircraft it has been forced to ground as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hit international travel.
-
The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy on athletes or stakeholders of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organizers still face strong headwinds before bringing the games to the finish line as the host nation struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic within Japan.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - May 22~28
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