National Jan 28, 2022
Japan governors ask central government for test supplies as omicron rages
Some governors voiced doubts about the effectiveness of pre-emergency measures, which mainly restrict the operations of restaurants and bars.
National Jan 28, 2022
COVID-19 restrictions on U.S. military personnel in Japan to end Monday
The measures were introduced on Jan. 10 following a surge in coronavirus cases among U.S. military personnel in prefectures that host U.S. military bases.
National Jan 28, 2022
New COVID-19 cases in Japan soar past 80,000 as omicron wave grows
Severe cases also rose by 160 to reach 697 and 44 coronavirus patients died.
National Jan 28, 2022
Japan to shorten isolation period to seven days for COVID close contacts
by Kanako Takahara
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said that 94.5% of omicron patients tested positive within seven days of coming into contact with the virus and 99.2% within 10 days.
National | FOCUS Jan 28, 2022
Omicron has fueled a rapid COVID surge in Japan. Still, the endgame may be in sight.
by Osamu Tsukimori
Some experts are optimistic that more treatment options, a high vaccination rate and and a so-far lower mortality rate could herald a transition from pandemic to endemic.
National Jan 28, 2022
Number of foreign trainees in Japan falls for first time amid pandemic
Despite the drop, Japan's demand for foreign workers has been growing due to a labor shortage caused by the nation's rapidly aging population.
National Jan 28, 2022
Japan's entry ban affecting foreign students' mental health, survey shows
The poll found that 58.4% of 3,115 respondents felt their mental health had "significantly declined" as a result of not being able to take up their studies in Japan.
National Jan 27, 2022
Okinawa may be emerging from the omicron wave. Will the rest of Japan soon follow suit?
by Kanako Takahara
After a surge starting around New Year’s that brought the prefecture’s daily case count nearly 2,000, new infections have steadily dropped in recent days.
National Jan 27, 2022
Japan's daily COVID-19 cases top 70,000 for the second day in a row
The seven-day average of daily cases in Tokyo came to 11,762.0, compared to 5,386.1 reported a week before.
National | FOCUS Jan 27, 2022
Day cares struggle to stay open as COVID-19 surges across Japan
by Kanako Takahara
On Monday, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced that a record 327 licensed day care facilities nationwide were closed as of Jan. 20 due to the virus.
National / Science & Health Jan 27, 2022
Some antibody drugs for COVID-19 may not be effective on omicron
Some antibody medicines, including Ronapreve, may not be effective against the highly mutated omicron variant of the coronavirus, according to researchers at Japanese and U.S. institutes.
