Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28
- Japan decided Thursday to lift an attendance cap of 10,000 at large-scale events such as sports games and concerts on Nov. 1, as new COVID-19 cases steadily decline across the country, a government official said.
- A Japanese health ministry panel on Thursday approved making third COVID-19 vaccine booster shots available to all people who have gone at least eight months since receiving their second dose, with the rollout for those other than high-risk groups expected to begin in the new year.
- Total domestic output by eight major Japanese automakers fell 49.7 percent in September from a year earlier to 398,075 units amid an ongoing global chip shortage and delays in procuring parts from Southeast Asia due to the COVID-19 resurgence this summer, data showed Thursday.
- The Bank of Japan on Thursday trimmed its economic growth and inflation forecasts for the year through March, keeping its ultraloose monetary policy intact to buttress a fragile economic recovery from the COVID-19 malaise.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 27
- The government plans to ease restrictions on attendance at large-scale events, such as sports games and concerts, from next week in response to a steady decline in coronavirus cases across Japan, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
- U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. is in talks with Japan to apply for approval to administer its COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 5 to 11, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
- Around 82 million cloth masks procured by Japan during the coronavirus pandemic, dubbed by the public as "Abenomasks," have gone unused, a government spokesman said Wednesday, a revelation that has sparked criticism as a waste of taxpayers' money.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - October 16~22
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan
- Health ministry call center
COVID-19: 0120-565-653 (toll free)
COVID-19 Vaccines: 0120-761-770 (toll free)
-Interpreters available for English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; for Thai 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; for Vietnamese 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. - Health ministry's COVID-19 Vaccine Navigation website
https://v-sys.mhlw.go.jp/en/ - 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)