Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, June 9
- The Sri Lankan government said Wednesday it has asked the Japanese government to provide COVID-19 vaccine and has received a "positive response."
- Japan's COVID-19 vaccination efforts are picking up steam with many local governments set to expand their rollout to those under 65 this month, and preparations under way for on-site inoculations at workplaces and universities.
- The Japanese government plans to lift the COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency in three prefectures after this weekend as scheduled as infections are declining, officials said Wednesday.
- Japan will aim to further cut the number of non-athletes from abroad for next month's Tokyo Olympics and finish inoculating all citizens who want COVID-19 vaccines by November in an attempt to prevent the further spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.
- Australia has withdrawn from the final baseball qualifying tournament for this summer's Tokyo Games because of difficulties stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the sport's national governing body announced Wednesday.
- The State Department on Tuesday eased its advisory that warned U.S. citizens not to travel to Japan, just two weeks after raising the alert to the highest level of 4 as the country struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, June 8
- The World Bank on Tuesday forecast global growth for this year at 5.6 percent, up 1.5 percentage points from its estimate in January as the United States and China showed robust rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic-induced downturn.
- A survey of South Korean students has shown a decline in academic ability amid suspension of face-to-face classes due to coronavirus pandemic, the country's Education Ministry has said.
- Japan is considering vaccinating all 70,000 volunteers for this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to improve the safety of the games amid the coronavirus pandemic, Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa said Tuesday.
- Japan's COVID-19 vaccination efforts received another boost Tuesday as Tokyo opened a mass inoculation center at the now-closed Tsukiji fish market, while companies and universities began applying the same day for permission to conduct on-site vaccinations starting later this month.
- A western Japan town has been flooded with complaints and threatening phone calls over its program for administering coronavirus vaccinations to young people between the ages of 12 and 15.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - May 29~June 4
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