Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, June 22
- Tokyo Olympic organizers reversed an earlier plan to allow alcoholic beverages to be sold to spectators at competition venues during the global sports event as voices grew against apparent consideration for sponsors such as Asahi Breweries, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
- Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike will take time off from work for the rest of the week due to severe fatigue, the metropolitan government said Tuesday.
- Four U.N. human rights experts said in a letter revealed on Tuesday that the exclusion of students at Korea University from the Japanese government's cash handout program to mitigate financial difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic was discriminatory.
- The White House said Monday that countries and regions including in Asia and Latin America will get coronavirus vaccines as part of the second batch of the 80 million doses the United States has pledged to share worldwide by the end of June.
As of 11 p.m., Monday, June 21
- Tokyo Olympic organizers said Monday they will allow up to 10,000 spectators to enter each venue, provided the number does not exceed 50 percent of its capacity, amid persistent concern about the spread of the coronavirus.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday the Tokyo Olympics may be held without spectators if the COVID-19 situation in Japan worsens and he has to declare another state of emergency.
- Japan's professional baseball and soccer leagues are aiming to complete COVID-19 vaccinations of all willing players and officials by the end of their Tokyo Olympics hiatus, their joint COVID-19 task force said Monday.
- The Indian Olympic Association sent a letter to the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee complaining stricter coronavirus restrictions against its athletes and those from other countries aimed at stemming the spread of highly contagious variants are "unfair and discriminatory," according to local media.
- Japan's COVID-19 vaccinations for people aged under 65 got into full swing Monday as universities joined companies in launching on-site inoculations.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 12~18
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