Tag - covid-19

 
 

COVID 19

An Air Koryo plane is reflected in a glass structure of the airport in Pyongyang in April 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 22, 2023
North Korea sees first passenger flight in three years
An Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing early Tuesday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began in 2020.
A COVID-19 test swab is placed into a tube in Hilversum, the Netherlands, in November 2020.
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 22, 2023
Two years after catching COVID, patients still risk getting sick
People who were not hospitalized for acute COVID-19 still had a higher risk than uninfected people of developing long COVID-related disorders.
It is still unclear whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination.
WORLD / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Aug 21, 2023
What you need to know about BA.2.86, the new COVID variant
Scientists are keeping an eye on the new lineage because it has 36 mutations that distinguish it from the currently dominant XBB.1.5 variant.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a government task force meeting on coronavirus response on Jan. 27.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2023
Four-year outlays on COVID and inflation relief to hit ¥68.5 trillion
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faces the urgent task of carrying out spending reforms as the world's third-largest economy recovers from the economic slump.
After enjoying robust demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, air cargo firms are now reeling from overcapacity.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Aug 19, 2023
Air travel boom creates crosswinds for air cargo
Passenger jets grounded during the pandemic are flying again and transporting goods, upping the competition with dedicated air freighters.
Tourists walk along the road that leads to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 14, 2023
New coronavirus variant EG.5 gains momentum in Japan
The prevalence of EG.5, called Eris by health experts, nearly doubled in July to account for 22% of cases in Tokyo.
Sendai Station is one of the train stations to see the biggest gains in foot traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2023
30% of Japan prefectures see crowds surpass pre-COVID levels
Based on an analysis of major train stations, 13 locations, or 28%, recorded more people than during the same period in 2019.
Whether it is a hot summer or a cold winter, humans spend 90% of their time inside and there is little evidence that seasonal changes affect COVID-19 transmission significantly. 
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2023
COVID-19’s summer resurgence resists easy answers
Be wary of anyone with a pat explanation for why COVID-19 waves rise and fall.
Travellers walk through Beijing Daxing International Airport on April 24.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 11, 2023
China reopened its doors, but tourists are staying away
A rebound in domestic tourism hasn't been mirrored by inbound tourists, with several barriers harming the country's appeal.
Visitors at the Todaiji temple in Nara in June
JAPAN / Society
Aug 10, 2023
China lifts pandemic-era ban on group tours to Japan
The decision marks the first time since January 2020 that groups of Chinese tourists will be allowed to visit Japan.
A health ministry panel has approved the messenger RNA vaccine Daichirona.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 1, 2023
Japan panel endorses first domestically developed COVID vaccine
The shot is based on the original strain of the coronavirus, making it unlikely that it will be used in Japan or elsewhere.
Former sumo wrestler Daisuke Yanagihara discusses his lawsuit against the Japan Sumo Association during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Monday.
SUMO
Aug 1, 2023
Former wrestler sues sumo association for alleged mistreatment
The former fourth-division rikishi said he was told to fight or quit as coronavirus cases rose in Tokyo ahead of the 2021 New Year Basho.
An elderly couple at a shrine in Tokyo in 2020
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 28, 2023
Japan's average life expectancy continued to fall in 2022
The decline for both men and women were "largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic," a ministry official said.
In the international market, a larger number of airlines went bankrupt compared to domestic fliers due to the pandemic, with low-cost, long-haul carriers getting hit particularly hard.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2023
Post-pandemic travel boom is running out of steam
Fare promotions and other signs of weakening domestic demand show business is leveling out for airlines after post-COVID-19 boom.
Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko attend the opening ceremony of the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka on July 14.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2023
Crown Princess Kiko tests positive for COVID-19
Her infection was confirmed in a test conducted after she developed a fever on Monday evening, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
The Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. Tourists are flocking to Kyoto and other popular spots in Japan, highlighting the country's severe shortage of hotel staff.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2023
As tourism booms, Japan struggles with labor shortages and weary locals
The return of tourists has given the country a boost, but it has also highlighted several issues, including a severe lack of hotel staff.
A platform is crowded with travelers at Tokyo Station on Aug. 11 last year. People plan to spend more this summer as COVID restrictions have been fully lifted.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2023
Japanese consumers to spend more in summer break for second straight year
The survey results come as Japan enters its first summer holiday period since COVID-19's legal status was downgraded.
Tokyo's Asakusa area is crowded with tourists last week.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2023
More Japan tourist hot spots imposing hotel taxes to fund promotions
Tokyo is considering increasing its tax for the first time since it became the first area in the country in 2002 to implement the system.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 20, 2023
First genetic clue why some people do not get sick from COVID-19
Those who have two copies of a particular genetic variant are eight times more likely to never get any symptoms from COVID-19, according to a new study.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 19, 2023
Don’t write off China’s economic recovery
While China's post-pandemic economic recovery has so far lagged well behind expectations, a supportive policy package can go a long way toward changing that.

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces