Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
Young people gather for a coming-of-age ceremony in Kitakyushu, southwestern Japan, on Jan. 9, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 10:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 10
- Japan's COVID-19 border restrictions appear to have prompted more than 300 people to decline offers for foreign language teacher and assistant positions in Japan, leading to a fall in the number of such instructors in the country, according to a Kyodo News survey.
- Japan plans to maintain its strict border restrictions of barring almost all new entries by foreign nationals until late February in a bid to stave off the Omicron variant amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the country, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.
- The Chinese city of Tianjin, known as a major gateway to Beijing, has begun citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing, state-run media reported Monday, just weeks before the Winter Olympics in the capital.
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 9
- Three Japanese prefectures hosting or neighboring U.S. military bases continued to see high coronavirus cases Sunday as COVID-19 quasi-emergency measures took effect in response to surging infections that their governors say stem from the spread of the Omicron variant at the U.S. facilities.
- The Japanese government placed three prefectures under a quasi-state of emergency on Sunday in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections that local governors say are linked to the spread of the Omicron variant at U.S. military bases.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - January 1~7
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)
