Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
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.
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 26
- Over 70 percent of Japan's population has been fully inoculated against COVID-19, government data showed Tuesday, ranking the country among the top three in the Group of Seven nations after an initially slow vaccine rollout.
- Japan will become the world's third-largest provider of COVID-19 vaccine doses, with donations to 20 countries and regions set to reach 30 million following another planned delivery to Taiwan, the foreign minister said Tuesday.
- Children under age 18 will be exempted from the coronavirus vaccine requirement to be imposed on foreign travelers entering the United States from Nov. 8, the U.S. government said Monday.
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)
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