Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Friday, Feb. 4
- A Japanese government panel plans to recommend that children aged 2 or older wear face masks at daycares as a part of measures to prevent them and staff from becoming infected with the coronavirus, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.
- The value of Japan's agricultural and seafood exports in 2021 reached a record high for the ninth consecutive year while exceeding 1 trillion yen ($8.7 billion) for the first time, backed by strong online and retail sales as people spent more time at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Friday.
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 3
- Tokyo unveiled on Thursday a set of new benchmarks in considering requesting a COVID-19 state of emergency, such as if the rate of hospital bed occupancy secured for patients with serious symptoms has reached a threshold of 30 to 40 percent.
- Japan's daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 100,000 for the first time on Thursday as the country struggles to contain a sixth wave of infections, driven by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
- The first Japanese Beijing Olympian to test positive for the coronavirus has headed back to the athletes' village from the isolation facility after twice testing negative, the Japanese Olympic Committee said Thursday.
- With the Beijing Winter Olympics set to open Friday, athletes and media from around the world have converged on the Chinese capital under coronavirus control measures unprecedented for a major international sporting event.
- A government panel on Thursday approved placing Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan under a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency, raising the number of areas subject to the measure to 35 of the country's 47 prefectures amid surging infections.
- A record 2,170 cases of child abuse were investigated last year in Japan, up 1.7 percent from the previous year, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to reduce opportunities for welfare workers to intervene, a police report showed Thursday.
- New Zealand will allow returning citizens to self-isolate rather than enter quarantine facilities from late February, while international tourists will be welcomed back starting in July at the latest, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday as the nation looks to scale back its pandemic border restrictions.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Jan. 29~Feb. 4
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)