Some foreign residents in central Japan say they are feeling anxious about the coronavirus because of the difficulty in getting necessary information and from the impact of steps to tackle the outbreak, such as school closures.

But support groups serving the foreign community worry that they have not made their concerns more noticeable, as several local authorities in Aichi Prefecture have said few foreign residents have requested information and advice related to COVID-19.

As of Sunday, the prefecture had 167 confirmed cases of the pneumonia-causing virus, one of the highest tallies in the country. Overall, Japan has recorded more than 2,600 cases, including about 700 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined for two weeks in Yokohama, with 66 deaths.