Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
People wearing masks walk in Tokyo's Shibuya district on July 27, 2021, with a large screen displaying a news report on a record of 2,848 new coronavirus cases logged in the capital the same day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, July 28
- Japan's daily total of COVID-19 cases topped 9,000 for the first time on Wednesday, with a surge in infections in Tokyo casting a pall over the Olympics and putting pressure on the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to take stronger countermeasures.
- Sixteen more people associated with the Tokyo Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19, but none are athletes, bringing the total since the start of this month to 169, games organizers said Wednesday.
- Journalists traveling to the Tokyo Olympics from overseas have been largely accepting of how the games are being staged amid the coronavirus pandemic, acknowledging the challenges of conducting such a massive event under difficult circumstances.
- U.S. health authorities said Tuesday that they will now ask people to wear masks indoors in parts of the country where coronavirus cases are surging even if vaccinated, citing concerns over the highly contagious Delta variant.
As of 11:45 p.m., Tuesday, July 27
- Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will suspend another three assembly lines in Japan for several days in August due to supply chain disruptions caused by the spread of coronavirus infections in Vietnam.
- Tokyo, hosting the Olympics while under a COVID-19 state of emergency, reported a record 2,848 daily novel coronavirus infections on Tuesday, officials said.
- The Japanese government hastily withdrew plans to pressure restaurants via lenders and liquor suppliers not to serve alcohol during states of emergency over the coronavirus, but the controversy shows how it has been relying on impromptu steps in the absence of an adequate legal framework for addressing pandemics, experts say.
- Seven more people related to the Tokyo Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19, including two athletes from overseas, bringing the total since the start of this month to 155, games organizers said.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 17~23
People wearing face masks walk in Tokyo's Shibuya area on July 13, 2021, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (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
