Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, May 26
- Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and a slew of other prefectural leaders on Wednesday called on the Japanese government to extend its COVID-19 state of emergency in place in nearly a dozen prefectures as infections have yet to subside with just two months until the capital hosts the Summer Olympics.
- South Korea's health authorities said Wednesday that people who have received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine will be allowed to go outdoors without wearing masks from July, as part of plans to incentivize mass vaccination.
- The Japanese Olympic Committee said Wednesday it will start administering coronavirus vaccinations to about 600 Olympic athletes, along with about 1,000 coaches and support staff, from June 1.
- The number of pregnancies reported in 2020 reached a new low amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.
- The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is likely to be taken off public roads in Hokkaido, whose biggest city of Sapporo is the venue for the marathon and race walking events, because of a spike in coronavirus infections, a local official said Wednesday.
- Japan will from next spring revive mental health education in high schools, axed four decades ago, following a record number of youth suicides and concerns over the stressful effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
- The United States continues to support Tokyo's plan to hold the Summer Olympics with an expectation of strict protocols to protect visiting athletes amid the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said Tuesday, a day after the State Department issued an advisory against traveling to Japan.
- Moderna Inc. said Tuesday its coronavirus vaccine has proven effective in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, raising the prospects of it becoming the second vaccine authorized for use on the age group in the United States.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, May 25
- Japan's government is considering another cash handout program of up to 100,000 yen ($920) each for needy households to help ease the financial strain of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
- Japan plans to make a final decision Friday on whether to extend the COVID-19 state of emergency that is set to end in Tokyo, Osaka and seven other prefectures early next week, a senior government official said Tuesday, amid a surge in coronavirus cases just two months before the opening of the Olympics in the capital.
- The Japanese government is considering mobilizing doctors and nurses from the Self-Defense Forces at this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Tuesday.
- The Japanese government will boost financial incentives for clinics to administer COVID-19 vaccines and consider expanding the pool of medical professionals allowed to give the shots to paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians, its top spokesman said Tuesday.
- Health minister Norihisa Tamura said Tuesday the government will consider extending the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo, Osaka and seven other prefectures beyond the current end date set for early next week.
- The Japanese government said Tuesday it will extend the quarantine period for travelers who have recently been to India and five other South Asian countries from six days to 10 days amid growing concerns over the India variant of the coronavirus.
- As children continue to spend more time stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, online esports lessons combined with English conversation practice have proved a hit with young gamers -- and with parents fretting over how to keep them entertained in a constructive way.
- The U.S. State Department on Monday issued an advisory to its citizens not to visit Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic, raising its travel alert to the highest level of 4 just two months before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - May 15~21
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