Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
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.
As of 11 p.m., Friday, June 11
- The Japanese government is considering lifting the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo and other areas after next week but keeping some restrictions in place in order to prevent a resurgence of infections leading up to the Summer Olympics, an official with knowledge of the plan said Friday.
- Malaysia said Friday it will extend its nationwide lockdown by another two weeks until June 28 as the government is still grappling with soaring COVID-19 cases.
- Elite sumo wrestler Asanoyama was essentially sidelined for a year on Friday when he received a six-grand tournament suspension for breaking the Japan Sumo Association's coronavirus safety guidelines ahead of the Summer Grand Sumo in May.
- Japan is in the process of approving Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine for use on adolescents aged 12 to 17, the government's top spokesman said Friday.
- The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized countries will kick off their three-day talks in Britain later Friday, with the focus expected to be on the coronavirus pandemic response, economic recovery and the challenges they face as democracies amid the rise of China.
- The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized countries are expected to pledge during the upcoming summit meeting to provide at least 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses to the world in an effort to end the pandemic in 2022, the British government said Thursday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 5~11
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