As of 11:40 p.m., Wednesday, July 21

• The Japanese government said Wednesday it will tighten border controls for visitors from some countries, including Myanmar and Iran, to prevent the spread of highly contagious new variants of the coronavirus.
  
  
• Tokyo Olympic competition began after a one-year coronavirus postponement Wednesday, the first pitch of a softball game between Japan and Australia in Fukushima marking the start of a games that almost did not happen.
  
  
• Five countries including Italy and Turkey have agreed to ease COVID-19 quarantine rules for travelers who have vaccine passports issued by Japan from next week, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
  
  
• The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday reported 1,832 new COVID-19 cases, marking the highest daily figure since mid-January, as a resurgence of infections continues to fuel concerns ahead of the Olympics set to formally open on Friday.
  
  
• Health experts warned Wednesday of a possible "critical" coronavirus situation in Tokyo, as they estimated infections could surge even further in early August during the Tokyo Olympics.
  
  
• Chile's Olympic committee said Wednesday a taekwondo athlete will withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for the coronavirus, in the first known case of an athlete pulling out of the games after arriving in Japan.
  
  
• The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday it is not possible to reduce the risk of coronavirus to zero at the Tokyo Olympics, which will open later this week, and the success of the games should be judged by how well cases of infection are handled.
  
  
• The total number of COVID-19 deaths in India could be higher than 4 million, which is 10 times more than the government's official count, according to a U.S. research institute.

As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, July 20

• Japanese Emperor Naruhito may avoid using the word "celebrate" or similar term when he is expected to declare the opening of the Tokyo Olympics this week, a government official said Tuesday.
  
  
• Japan has begun surveying overseas arrivals about their COVID-19 vaccination status as it explores the feasibility of exempting those vaccinated abroad from the country's strict entry restrictions, government sources said Tuesday.
  
  
• Nyan Win, a prominent member of Myanmar's formerly ruling National League for Democracy party and a close aide of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, died of COVID-19 on Tuesday while under detention in the wake of the Feb. 1 military coup, the NLD said.
  
  
• The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 1,387 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, topping the 1,000 mark for the first time in two days, as the upward trend in infections continues to stir concerns ahead of the start of the Olympics later this week.
  
  
• Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics said Tuesday that a foreign athlete at the athletes' village and eight other people related to the games have newly tested positive for the coronavirus.

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 10~16

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Members of South Africa's Olympic men's football team leave after practice in Chiba, near Tokyo, on July 19, 2021, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics starting later in the week. A total of 21 members of the team have been identified as close contacts of three other members who tested positive for the coronavirus, the games' organizing committee said the same day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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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

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