Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
Japanese Emperor Naruhito and other imperial family members listen to a scholar's New Year lecture at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 14, 2022, wearing face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 15
- The Beijing government said Saturday that it has detected its first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, just weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics in the capital, slated to start Feb. 4.
- Japan's confirmed daily COVID-19 cases on Saturday topped 25,000 for the first time since Aug. 26 last year.
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Jan. 14
- Japan will shorten to 10 days the current 14-day isolation period for close contacts of the Omicron COVID-19 variant among the general public, health minister Shigeyuki Goto said Friday.
- Tokyo confirmed 4,051 daily coronavirus cases Friday, topping the 4,000 mark for the first time since Aug. 27, the metropolitan government said.
- Pfizer Japan Inc. said Friday it has applied to the Japanese health ministry for approval of its COVID-19 pill which, if granted, would make it the second oral drug for mild coronavirus cases available in the country.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - January 8~14
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)
