Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
<Aug. 23, 2022>
- A survey released Tuesday by a Tokyo-based company that encourages tourism to Japan showed that 72 percent of respondents will not, or will probably not, visit the country if it continues with its current entry controls.
- Japan saw a record number of daily COVID-19 deaths at over 330 on Tuesday, exceeding the previous high of 327 logged on Feb. 22, according to a tally of new cases across the country.
- Japan is planning to stop requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test result from entrants to the country as long as they have completed three rounds of vaccinations, while also raising the cap on the number of entrants from the current 20,000 a day, a government source said Tuesday.
- Japanese prefectural governors urged the central government Tuesday to limit its daily reporting requirement for coronavirus cases to the elderly and other at-risk people in a bid to lessen the administrative burden on hospitals amid a resurgence of infections.
<Aug. 22, 2022>
- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida commenced working remotely Monday, a day after testing positive for the novel coronavirus at the end of his summer break.
- China's central bank cut its benchmark lending rate Monday for the first time in seven months to shore up the country's slowing economy amid restrictions under its radical "zero-COVID" policy to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak and a property market slump.
<Aug. 21, 2022>
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tested positive Sunday for the novel coronavirus, the premier's office said.
- Coronavirus cases among children remain high amid a seventh wave of infections in Japan, with the weekly number of new cases for the age group hitting over 300,000 at one point, doubling the peak hit during the sixth wave earlier this year.
<Aug. 20, 2022>
- Japan reported 253,265 additional coronavirus cases Saturday, marking the third straight day of over 250,000 with no end in sight for the ongoing seventh wave of infections.
<Aug. 19, 2022>
- Japan posted more than 260,000 daily coronavirus infections on Friday, renewing the highest level on record for a second straight day.
<Aug. 18, 2022>
- Japan posted about 255,000 daily coronavirus infections on Thursday, hitting a new record high.
<Aug. 17, 2022>
- The number of foreign arrivals in Japan in July exceeded 100,000 for the fourth straight month following the easing of COVID-19 border control measures in a bid to shore up the tepid economy, official data showed Wednesday.
- The coronavirus pandemic led to 8,000 more suicides in Japan between March 2020 and June 2022 than would have been expected in the period, a recent study calculated.
- U.S. first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said Tuesday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Aug. 13~19
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)