Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13
- Forty-three of Japan's 47 prefectural capitals, or 91.5 percent, will finish their initial two-dose COVID-19 vaccine rollout by the end this month, a Kyodo News survey showed Saturday, as local governments prepare to move onto the next phase of the inoculation program.
- Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim economies including Japan, the United States and China agreed Friday to advance integration through free trade agreements as they seek to drive the post-coronavirus global recovery.
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Nov. 12
- Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim economies including Japan, the United States and China began a virtual summit Friday to explore ways to speed up the global economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
- Spending by the Japanese government on a set of economic stimulus measures to be finalized next week will exceed 40 trillion yen ($350 billion), sources close to the matter said Friday.
- Japan plans to remove the spectator attendance limit for large-scale events and allow venues to be filled to capacity even under a COVID-19 state of emergency by using a system to check whether visitors have been vaccinated or have tested negative for the virus, government sources said Friday.
- The Japanese government decided Friday to secure COVID-19 oral medication for 1.6 million people in preparation for a potential sixth wave of novel coronavirus infections in Japan.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Nov. 6 ~ 12
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)