月: 2020年7月

1. Businesses in popular resorts close to Tokyo have expressed concern about the exclusion of trips to and from the capital in a tourism campaign aimed at boosting Japan’s economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Japanese government made the exclusion on Thursday due to an increasing number of infection cases in Tokyo.
2. The total number of coronavirus infections in Brazil has surpassed two million. The government says a daily figure of more than 45,000 new cases had been reported as of Thursday, bringing the total number of people who have tested positive in the country to 2,012,151.
3. The United States, Britain and Canada say a Russian group is very likely to have mounted cyberattacks to collect research data on coronavirus vaccines. The three countries’ intelligence agencies made the announcement in statements on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

1. Officials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government say a record-high 286 new cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed in the Japanese capital on Thursday.
2. Shogi prodigy Fujita Sota has clinched his first major title in the Japanese board game, similar to chess.
3. The U.S. Federal Reserve says a wave of coronavirus infections has slammed the brakes on the country’s nascent economic recovery.

 

1. Tokyo has been put on the highest level of alert for the coronavirus after a string of triple-digit new daily cases. Officials are urging people to take precautionary measures.
2. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is for the first time strongly urging Americans to wear face masks, saying they are effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
3. Automakers from around the world will showcase their popular models at a motor show in Thailand in the hope of jumpstarting sales that have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

1. The head of the World Health Organization has warned that many countries are not handling the coronavirus pandemic properly. He said, “too many countries are headed in the wrong direction.” He also warned that “if governments do not roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives, the pandemic is going to get worse and worse and worse.”
2. Hong Kong has tightened measures against the coronavirus after a sudden spike in new cases. Hong Kong had contained the local spread of the virus since May but the number of new cases started rising again in early July.
3. A government in northern Japan has expressed concern that the central government’s nationwide travel campaign could help spread coronavirus infections. The government’s Go To Travel Campaign, aimed at boosting domestic tourism with offeres of discounts and subsidies, kicks off on July 22. Yamagata Governor Yoshimura Mieko told reports on Tuesday that she has doubts about promoting nationwide movement of people amid a spike in new cases in Tokyo and surrounding areas. She said local governments should be allowed to first invite travelers from nearby prefectures, and then from places farther away.

1. Much of Japan can expect even more damaging rain over the coming days. The Meteorological Agency is calling on people in both eastern and western Japan to be on alert for landslides and flooding. The weather system is set to batter areas of Kyushu, already struggling with the aftermath of earlier downpours.
2. Local rafting guides are delivering relief supplies to downpour-hit communities in Japan’s southwestern prefectures of Kumamoto. Access has been difficult because of flood damage to roads and bridges. The guides used three vans to carry water, food, rubber boots, and other goods to three evacuation shelters and two community centers in Kuma Village.
3. More than 40 percent of states in the U.S. have stopped reopening business activities or reinstated restrictions, amid a surging number of coronavirus infections. The number of new cases reported on Saturday in the country was 61,352, according to the tally by Johns Hopkins University.

 

1. Officials in Tokyo are dealing with a jump in coronavirus infections. The number of new cases has not topped 200 for two days in a row. It’s the first time that has happened since the start of the pandemic. On Friday, officials reported a record high of 243 new cases. The capital recorded 224 for the previous day.
2. The Japanese government will go ahead with plans to ease restrictions on large events on Friday despite a surge in coronavirus cases in parts of the country, including Tokyo. The government is raising the maximum attendance at spectator events from 1,000 to 5,000.
3. Japan’s three major convenience-store operators are reporting a sharp drop in profits, as the coronavirus keeps customers at home. The Lawson group saw operating profit fall 81.6 percent for March to May from the same period a year earlier to around 24 million dollars. FamilyMart’s profit fell 54 percent to 84 million dollars. Seven-Eleven Japan was down 13.3 percent to about 487 million dollars.

 

 

1. Japan is bracing for more torrential downpours through Friday as a lingering seasonal rain front threatens the western and eastern parts of the country.
2. On July 2, Japan joined a growing list of countries to implement a mandatory plastic bag surcharge. It is part of a national effort to reduce plastic waste in a country that the U.N. says has the second highest rate of per capita plastic packaging consumption in the world.
3. The head of a national institute in charge of Germany’s response to the new coronavirus outbreak has highlighted efforts the country has made to increase the capacity of PCR virus testing.

1. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy rain emergency warning for parts of Gifu and Nagano prefectures in the central part of the country. The warning is the highest level of alert on the agency’s scale.
2. The US government has officially notified the UN that it will withdraw from the World Health Organization in July next year.
3. The Japanese government has laid out recommendations to prevent another shortage of masks and other medical equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. In Japan’s southwestern region of kyushu, the heavy rainfall is now being blamed for the deaths of more than 50 people. Weather officials have switched a heavy rain emergency warning issued for Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki prefectures to a warning. But they’re asking people to remain on alert for landslides and rivers spilling over their banks.
2. Japan’s household spending plunged in May, posting its biggest decline on record, as the coronavirus outbreak continued to keep consumers at home. The internal affairs ministry says average spending by households with two or more people stood at just over 252,000 yen, or about 2,350 dollars.
3. U.S. immigration authorities say they will not issue visas to foreign students at U.S. universities and high schools if all of their classes are offered online. Those who are already in the U.S. will be asked to leave the country or transfer to schools with in-person classes.

 

 

 

1. Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy rain emergency warning for parts of Fukuoka, Saga, and Nagasaki prefectures in the country’s southwestern region of Kyushu. The warning is the highest level on the agency’s scale.
2. Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko clinched a second term in the capital’s gubernatorial election on Sunday, receiving the second-highest number of votes cast on record.
3. Reelected Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko says she will swiftly set up a Tokyo version of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide people with accurate information on coronavirus infections.