Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
As of 11 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 5
- Tokyo reported 21,122 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the second highest daily tally on record, the metropolitan government said, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly across Japan.
- South Korea said Saturday its daily coronavirus cases exceeded the 30,000 mark for the first time the previous day, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continued to fuel the surge.
- Yokozuna Terunofuji was among a total of 17 sumo wrestlers, stablemasters and a referee to have newly tested positive for COVID-19, the Japan Sumo Association said late Friday.
- The number of people who stayed at hotels and other accommodation facilities in Japan hit a record low in 2021 for the second straight year, according to government data, as the coronavirus pandemic led to prolonged border controls and a slowdown in the recovery of domestic travel demand.
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.
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)