Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
People wearing face masks walk on a street lined with bars and restaurants in Osaka's Minami area on Jan. 20, 2022, as Japan has logged a cumulative total of over 2 million COVID-19 cases. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Jan. 21
- Japan's confirmed daily coronavirus cases Friday topped 49,000, setting a new record for the fourth consecutive day as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country.
- U.S. Forces Japan said Friday it has decided to extend COVID-19 restrictions on its personnel's activities outside bases in Japan by one week through the end of January.
- A majority of Japan's 47 prefectures have come under or are moving to seek restrictions on restaurants and bars to cope with surging coronavirus infections, with 12 more areas including Osaka set to seek quasi-state of emergency declarations by the central government in the coming days.
- Japan's health ministry approved on Friday the administration of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine to children aged between 5 and 11.
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20
- A Japanese health ministry panel approved Thursday the administration of Pfizer Inc.'s coronavirus vaccine to children aged 5 to 11, making it the first in Japan to be available for the age group.
- Japan's confirmed daily coronavirus cases on Thursday topped 42,000, setting a new record for the third day in a row as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country.
- The western Japan prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo will ask the government Friday to place them under a coronavirus quasi-state emergency amid the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - January 15~21
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)
