Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from Japan and beyond:
<Dec. 15, 2022>
- International cruise ship operations resumed in Japan on Thursday after an almost three-year suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a ship operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Lines Ltd. setting sail for the Indian Ocean from Yokohama port near Tokyo.
- The Japanese health ministry plans to ease restrictions on funerals for people who died after infection with the novel coronavirus and stop requiring the use of body bags, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday.
- Unprecedented nationwide protests against China's strict "zero-COVID" policy last month have subsided amid a drastic easing of restrictions and heavy police intervention, but they are a ray of hope for those who are unhappy with the status quo while still demonstrating the tight grip the state has over its people.
<Dec. 14, 2022>
- China on Wednesday stopped releasing data on asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, saying it is impossible to monitor them accurately, with many people no longer taking PCR tests after the government significantly eased its strict "zero-COVID" policy last week.
<Dec. 13, 2022>
- Juvenile delinquency in Japan increased significantly in the spring of 2020, when schools nationwide were closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, creating a sharp contrast with a notable drop in the number of overall criminal offenses, a government report showed Tuesday.
<Dec. 12, 2022>
- China's strict "zero-COVID" policy to stem coronavirus infections through lockdowns has effectively collapsed, with the epidemic apparently raging in major cities after the government significantly eased antivirus steps last week amid public frustration.
<Dec. 9, 2022>
- Concerns of a sharp rise in virus infections have spread in China just days after the country significantly eased its stringent "zero-COVID" policy amid public frustration, with many casting doubt on the accuracy of official counts as frequent testing is no longer required.
<Dec. 8, 2022>
- A significant easing of China's stringent "zero-COVID" policy announced Wednesday amid the continued spread of the coronavirus has triggered confusion and anxiety among the public, with cold medicines flying off the shelves and health authorities no longer tracing positive cases.
- Japan's economy shrank an annualized real 0.8 percent in July-September, compared with the 1.2 percent previously reported, as domestic demand was slightly stronger, although its recovery from the COVID-19 fallout lacked vigor, government data showed Thursday.
<Dec. 7, 2022>
- China announced Wednesday additional measures to relax its strict "zero-COVID" policy, including allowing those with no or mild symptoms of the disease to be quarantined at home instead of designated facilities after rare nationwide protests against the restrictions erupted in late November.
<Dec. 6, 2022>
- Japan's household spending in October increased a real 1.2 percent from a year earlier, rising for the fifth consecutive month, as people spent more on trips after the government lifted coronavirus restrictions and introduced a subsidy program to revive domestic tourism, government data showed Tuesday.
<Dec. 5, 2022>
- Police searched the head office of a group claiming to be the Japanese arm of U.S. conspiracy cult QAnon in Shizuoka Prefecture on Monday after its members were arrested last week for forcing their way into a local mass coronavirus vaccination site earlier this year.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Dec. 3~9
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)