Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
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.
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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.
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, May 29
- Commercial facilities in Tokyo, Osaka and other prefectures are stepping up preparations to resume operations on Tuesday, as the government hopes to strike a balance between curbing coronavirus infections and reviving the battered economy after extending the COVID-19 state of emergency to June 20.
- Japan's top government spokesman said Saturday some restrictive measures against the coronavirus could be kept in place even if the COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and eight other prefectures is lifted on the June 20 expiration date.
- The combined gross domestic product of the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is expected to grow 6.3 percent this year, turning around from a 1.9 percent decline in 2020 as they gradually reopen while COVID-19 vaccines fan optimism, an APEC report showed.
- The organizers of this summer's Tokyo Olympics plan to require athletes to acknowledge that they may face health risks or death caused by coronavirus infections and Japan's heat if they compete in the games, a document detailing conditions for participation showed Friday.
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