Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
<Dec. 26, 2022>
- China will reopen borders and abandon quarantine measures meant to stem the spread of coronavirus infections on Jan. 8, removing the last major restrictions under its strict "zero-COVID" policy, the South China Morning Post reported Monday.
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Marking a fourth straight month of increases in its global output, Toyota Motor Corp. said the supply-chain crunch for automobile parts caused by COVID-19 has now eased.
<Dec. 25, 2022>
- Daily new COVID-19 infections in China are believed to have reached several hundred million based on figures released by regional authorities, amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus since the government significantly relaxed its strict antivirus measures earlier this month.
- In reference to the major easing of China's "zero-COVID" policy earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi aid it had "ushered in a new stage in the pandemic response" and indicated the country will relax its strict border controls. "We consider it necessary to further facilitate the flow of personnel between China and other countries," he said.
<Dec. 23, 2022>
- Japan on Friday logged 371 coronavirus-related deaths, marking the highest daily figure since the pandemic began as the country grapples with an eighth wave of infections.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on China for transparency over the current coronavirus pandemic situation in the Asian country during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the U.S. government said.
- A Japanese national has died in China after testing positive for COVID-19, the top government spokesman said Friday, as Beijing grapples with an apparent surge of infections after a major easing of its strict antivirus measures earlier in the month.
<Dec. 22, 2022>
- A Tokyo court on Thursday found guilty five members of a group claiming to be the Japanese arm of U.S. conspiracy cult QAnon for forcing their way into local coronavirus vaccination sites earlier this year.
<Dec. 21, 2022>
- The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in November increased 1.9-fold from the previous month to 934,500, government data showed Wednesday, as the country removed almost all COVID-19 entry restrictions in October.
- While the coronavirus has made masks part of everyday life in Japan, in the reality depicted by recent movies and dramas, office workers, young lovers, schoolchildren and others continue to lead lives untroubled by the pandemic. What is the prospect of Japan finally returning to a maskless world?
<Dec. 20, 2022>
- Chinese authorities have called on those with mild COVID symptoms to return to work, in a radical shift from previous strict restrictions, as the world's second-largest economy promotes the resumption of business activities and hospitals suffer from manpower shortages amid a surge in the virus.
<Dec. 19, 2022>
- China's official COVID-19 death counts have raised doubts amid an apparent surge of infections in major cities, with only two deaths reported since the government significantly eased its tight restrictions earlier this month despite long queues of vehicles forming at cremation sites.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Dec. 17~23
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)