Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
People wearing masks walk by an illustration showing Miraitowa (L) and Someity (R), official mascots of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on May 26, 2021, with a coronavirus state of emergency in place about two months before the start of the Olympics. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, May 27
- The head of a Japanese doctors union called Thursday for the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics, set to begin in less than two months, saying staging the games would be "extremely dangerous" as Japan is already facing a fourth wave of coronavirus infections.
- The Japanese government plans to extend the COVID-19 state of emergency set to expire at the end of May in Tokyo and eight prefectures to June 20, a senior official said Thursday.
- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a virtual conference with European Union leaders on Thursday to discuss the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as well as efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region amid China's growing influence.
- Indians in Japan have rallied to the aid of their homeland as it faces a raging resurgence of the novel coronavirus, with individuals, religious groups and businesses sending donations including prized cylinders of oxygen to different parts of the country with which they have connections.
- The U.S. government trusts Japan's commitment to prioritize public health as it prepares to host the Tokyo Olympics this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.
- U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he has asked the intelligence community to "redouble" its efforts to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus and report back to him in 90 days.
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.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - May 15~21
Fewer people than usual walk on a street lined with restaurants and bars in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture on May 25, 2021, with the western Japan prefecture under a coronavirus state of emergency. (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
