Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 7
- Japan will receive 150 million doses of U.S. pharmaceutical giant Novavax Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine from as early as the beginning of 2022, the health ministry said Tuesday.
- Japan is considering a wide usage of so-called vaccine passports for commercial purposes as part of efforts to regularize domestic social and economic activities that have long been stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a draft government plan.
- A 49-year-old man in Japan died last month after he was administrated a dose of Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine that was among batches later recalled from use by its distributor in the country, the health ministry said Monday.
As of 11 p.m., Monday, Sept. 6
- Japan's largest business lobby on Monday called for the government to promptly consider exempting overseas arrivals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from quarantine while also shortening the current 14-day quarantine period to a maximum of 10 days.
- The Japanese government is eyeing an extension of the COVID-19 state of emergency for Tokyo, neighboring and some other prefectures past its Sept. 12 end date, having deemed the strains on the health system have not eased enough to lift restrictions on business activity, sources said Monday.
- Yokozuna Hakuho and his fellow stablemates will miss the entire Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament starting this weekend after two wrestlers at Miyagino stable tested positive for COVID-19, the Japan Sumo Association said Monday.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown will be lifted for all areas except Auckland, the largest city, as new infection numbers continue to fall.
- Tokyo's daily coronavirus cases on Monday totaled 968, marking the first time since July 19 the count has fallen below 1,000.
- The president of the Tokyo Games organizing committee said Monday she is "proud" of Japan having hosted the Olympics and Paralympics despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Mothers raising children are feeling more stress due to the coronavirus pandemic than men or women without kids as the health crisis has limited their opportunity to go out and chat with other mothers, according to a private survey released Monday.
- Television coverage of the Paralympics has introduced many relatively unknown athletes and sports to Japanese viewers during the stay-at-home summer of 2021.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Aug. 28~Sept. 3
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