Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
Shelves are mostly empty at a supermarket in Beijing on May 12, 2022, after shoppers stockpiled food following authorities' order that citizens stay home for three days from May 13 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
<May 13, 2022>
- The Tokyo metropolitan government said Friday it has postponed "returning" a popular female offspring of a giant panda couple on loan from China for another six months until year-end due to transportation difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- A Chinese woman has been accused of spreading false rumors and held by authorities for posting a message online saying Beijing would soon come under a citywide COVID-19 lockdown, Chinese media reported Friday.
- At least one person has died and around 187,800 people are being quarantined in North Korea due to the novel coronavirus, state-run media reported Friday.
- Japan will assist developing nations with their anti-coronavirus steps with cumulative assistance worth $5 billion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday during a global summit aimed at galvanizing efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
<May 12, 2022>
- North Korea's state-run media reported Thursday that the country has detected the Omicron variant of the coronavirus from a sample collected in Pyongyang earlier this month.
<May 11, 2022>
- China on Wednesday urged the head of the World Health Organization not to make "irresponsible" remarks, a day after he cast doubt on the sustainability of the country's radical "zero-COVID" policy.
- Wearing masks outdoors to protect against the coronavirus is not necessary providing social distancing is practiced, Japan's top government spokesman said Wednesday, with the approach of summer increasing the risk of heatstroke.
- Japan's government is arranging to double the cap on arrivals from overseas to 20,000 people per day in June, government sources said Wednesday.
<May 10, 2022>
- Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will suspend operations on 14 lines at eight factories in Japan for up to six days this month as it is difficult to procure parts due to the prolonged COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai.
<May 8, 2022>
- Around 10 percent of people admitted to hospitals due to coronavirus symptoms continued to suffer from aftereffects a year after they were discharged, a recent survey compiled by a health ministry research group showed.
<May 7, 2022>
- Japan's League One announced the cancellation of Saturday's clash between Black Rams Tokyo and Red Hurricanes Osaka shortly before kickoff following multiple COVID-19 cases among players and staff from the team based in Osaka.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - May 7~13
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)
