Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 9:30 p.m., Thursday, July 15
- The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 1,308 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most since Jan. 21, as health experts warned infections could surge to 2,000 a day shortly after the Olympics end in early August.
- Local governments in Japan need to slow down in administering COVID-19 vaccine to residents as supply is expected to remain limited in the coming months, the minister in charge of vaccination efforts said Thursday.
- Myanmar is struggling with a shortage of medical oxygen amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, as the country reported 7,083 new coronavirus infections over a 24-hour period on Wednesday.
- The Japanese government said Thursday it will tighten border controls for visitors from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Namibia in response to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus.
- Japanese airlines plan to put on special flights to allow Japanese residents in Indonesia to return home amid a surge of infections of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta said.
- Tokyo Olympics organizers are considering allowing fewer than 1,000 VIPs and foreign dignitaries to attend the opening ceremony in person, reducing from the already slashed figure of 10,000 and keeping the public out, sources with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.
- China's economy grew 7.9 percent from a year earlier during the April-June period, marking the fifth straight quarter of expansion, official data showed Thursday, underscoring that the Asian power has steadily overcome the coronavirus shock.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, July 14
- Indonesia reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus infections Wednesday, with the total reaching 54,517, according to health authorities.
- The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday the Refugee Olympic Team will currently not travel to Japan after an official with the delegation tested positive for the coronavirus.
- The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 1,149 daily coronavirus cases Wednesday, topping 1,000 for the first time since May 13.
- A chartered plane carrying about 50 Japanese expatriates and family members left Indonesia for Japan on Wednesday morning, following a surge of infections with the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus in the Southeast Asian country.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologized Wednesday for his administration's controversial request that drinks wholesalers stop supplying liquor to restaurants and bars that have defied an alcohol sales ban aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 3~9
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