Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
A steam locomotive, modeled on Thomas the Tank Engine and operated by Oigawa Railway Co., leaves Shin-Kanaya station in the Shizuoka Prefecture city of Shimada, central Japan, on June 12, 2021. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, June 13
- It is now impossible to taste North Korea's flagship homemade beer in China's border city of Dandong, with leader Kim Jong Un apparently having little intention to let down his guard against the novel coronavirus.
- All Nippon Airways Co. on Sunday began its COVID-19 vaccination program for employees at Tokyo's Haneda airport, moving up the original schedule by more than a week.
- U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday reiterated his support for Japan's plan to hold a safe Tokyo Olympics next month amid the coronavirus pandemic, as he briefly talked with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, June 12
- Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have begun accepting cancellations from schools no longer wishing to participate in a program that offers students the chance to watch events at nearby venues.
- Expectations are high that licensed nurses currently not employed at medical facilities can help speed up Japan's coronavirus vaccination rollout, but obstacles including inflexible working hours lie in the way.
- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday expressed his strong resolve to go ahead with the Tokyo Olympics next month despite concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, urging the Group of Seven countries to send athletes to the games, a government official said.
- The Group of Seven industrialized countries kicked off their three-day summit in Britain on Friday, focusing on the coronavirus pandemic response, ways to ensure a global economic recovery and initiatives to counter China's growing clout.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 5~11
A Tokyo Olympic torch relay runner stands under a torii shrine gate in Tara, the starting point of the relay's leg in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on May 9, 2021. (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
