Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Monday, Feb. 14
- The number of people in Japan recovering at home from the coronavirus has topped 500,000 for the first time as the recent surge in infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant continued to put strain on the health care system across the country.
- Japan has agreed with Pfizer Inc. to purchase an additional 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by March, the health ministry said Monday, as the county trails other developed economies in its rollout of booster shots.
- Osaka Prefecture in western Japan on Monday put off decision on whether to ask the central government to declare a COVID-19 state of emergency following a slight decline in the number of new coronavirus cases.
- What happens to the body of a person who suffers from the long-term effects of the novel coronavirus? A 33-year-old reporter for Kyodo News, my ailments related to COVID-19 continue to this day, more than a year after I recovered.
No major coronavirus news on Sunday, Feb. 13
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12
- Japan is considering easing the entry ban on nonresident foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in March, amid growing criticism from academic and business circles, a source familiar with the matter said Saturday.
- On Jan. 16, 2021, I learned that I had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. My symptoms remained mild, however, and I returned to work the following month as a 33-year-old female reporter in the domestic news department of Kyodo News.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Feb. 5~Feb. 11
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)