Japan's national debt has hit a new high for a fourth straight year.

The Finance Ministry says government debt stood at 1,114.54 trillion yen, or about 10.45 trillion dollars, at the end of March. That's an increase of about 104.85 billion dollars from a year earlier.

A group of researchers at the University of Tokyo has started clinical trials of a drug that could possibly treat people infected with the coronavirus.

Nafamostat mesylate is normally used for acute pancreatitis and other diseases that create blood clots. It is marketed under the brand name Futhan.

Japan's health ministry has revised its criteria for people to be tested for the coronavirus, after experts criticized it for potentially discouraging people from seeking consultations.

Under the criteria announced in February, people are asked to contact local public health centers if they have certain symptoms, including a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher continuing for four days.

Japan's health ministry is revising its criteria for people to be tested for the coronavirus, after experts criticized it for potentially discouraging people from seeking consultations.

Under the criteria announced in February, people are asked to contact local public health centers if they have certain symptoms, including a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher continuing for four days.

Japan's minister in charge of the coronavirus response says the number of new cases in the country is falling. But he warned that lifting the state of emergency may only be possible after the slowdown continues for a certain period of time.

The daily number of reported cases in Japan fell below 100 on Thursday for the first time since the state of emergency was declared last month.

The number of coronavirus cases reported in Japan in one day has fallen below 100 for the first time since the state of emergency was declared on April 7.

The government says it may lift the measure in some prefectures around May 14.

Japan is giving its medical workers another weapon to fight Covid-19. The health ministry has taken a new step by approving an antiviral drug as a treatment.

Japan gave fast-track approval to remdesivir.

Japan's government says it may lift the country's state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in some prefectures around May 14.

Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi spoke about the possibility to reporters on Thursday.

Public schools in Tottori Prefecture in western Japan were reopened for the first time on Thursday after they were closed on April 27.

The decision came after Japan's government allowed prefectures, other than those under a special alert, to ease some of the restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The Japanese government is to call on companies in Tokyo and 12 prefectures that are on a special coronavirus alert to reduce by at least 70 percent the number of their employees traveling to work.

Thursday marks exactly one month since the government declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and six prefectures, including Osaka.

Japan's health ministry appears set to approve antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for new coronavirus patients.

The fast-track approval follows in the footsteps of the United States, which authorized last Friday the emergency use of the drug to treat coronavirus patients.

Japan's health ministry says about 2,000 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus have been isolating at home.

A ministry survey shows that of the 8,711 people who had tested positive by April 28, 1,984 were recuperating at home.

Japan's minister in charge of the coronavirus response has visited a Japanese university that is studying a possible coronavirus treatment drug.

Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi visited Kitasato University on Wednesday.

Japan's top figure skater, Hanyu Yuzuru, has uploaded video of his performances to encourage people coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

The three-part series lasting about five minutes in total was posted on Wednesday on the official Twitter account of the Japan Skating Federation.