Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
The Fuji Rock Festival opens in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, on Aug. 20, 2021. The outdoor music event, through Aug. 22, is taking place with drastically reduced tickets due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 22
- The Tokyo metropolitan government confirmed on Sunday 4,392 new coronavirus cases, marking the highest figure ever reported for that day of the week.
- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that it is time to shift focus from case numbers to hospitalizations, as widespread outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta variant make it "highly unlikely" Australia will return to zero cases of community transmission.
- The number of private properties for vacation rental in Japan has declined as the novel coronavirus pandemic caused a nosedive in travel demand, dashing hopes for more foreign visitors during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
- Japanese university students who do not find their lives fulfilling amid the coronavirus pandemic stood at 44.7 percent in July, with many saying they feel low, have monetary hardships and face limitations of online classes, according to a survey.
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 21
- The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 5,074 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, topping the 5,000 level for the fourth straight day.
- Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will build Japan's first Waldorf Astoria luxury hotel -- the group's highest standard of accommodation -- near JR Osaka Station in western Japan, anticipating a recovery in travel demand among wealthy people in a post-coronavirus era. The chain is also planning to open a hotel of the same brand in Tokyo's Nihombashi district in 2026.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Aug 14~20
A tourist spot in the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Kitakyushu, southwestern Japan, is deserted on Aug. 21, 2021, as Fukuoka is under a COVID-19 state of emergency. (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
