Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18
- Three more cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Beijing since Monday, the municipal government said Tuesday, weeks before the Winter Olympics are scheduled to kick off in the capital on Feb. 4.
- Japan's confirmed daily coronavirus cases on Tuesday topped 30,000 for the first time, surpassing the previous record of 25,992 registered in August last year, a Kyodo News tally showed, prompting more prefectural governments to seek quasi-emergency measures to stem the spread of the Omicron variant.
- China's trade with North Korea plunged around 90 percent in 2021 from 2019 before the novel coronavirus pandemic began, government data showed Tuesday.
- Japanese Emperor Naruhito again expressed his hope for the end of the coronavirus pandemic in a poem recited Tuesday at an annual ceremony.
- The Bank of Japan on Tuesday lifted its inflation forecast for the fiscal year from April amid higher energy and raw material costs amid a weak yen, while maintaining its ultraloose monetary policy to support the economy hit by a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.
- Japan will halt implementation of a government system combining COVID-19 vaccination and testing in a bid to restart economic activities in the wake of breakthrough infections, as the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.
As of 11 p.m., Monday, Jan. 17
- Tickets for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics will not be sold to the general public, organizers said Monday, as community infections of the coronavirus's highly contagious Omicron variant have been expanding in China.
- Japan is considering placing 11 prefectures, including Tokyo and its vicinity, under a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency to curb rapidly spreading coronavirus cases, government sources said Monday.
- The Japanese government is nearing a decision to declare a quasi-state of emergency for Tokyo and three nearby prefectures amid a rapid increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases in the region, a government source said Monday.
- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he will devote himself to containing COVID-19 in Japan amid surging cases fueled by the Omicron variant, asking for public cooperation to win the battle against the virus that is proving more "formidable" than expected.
- Japan plans to allow 87 government-sponsored foreign students into the country, making an exception to the country's entry ban on nonresident foreigners that is currently in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the top spokesman said Monday.
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)