Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has announced that he's partially halting government programs brought in to boost travel and dining out.
Suga was speaking at a coronavirus taskforce meeting on Saturday. Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi and Japanese Tourism Minister Akaba Kazuyoshi were also in attendance.
Japan's health ministry has called on public health centers to make it mandatory to conduct coronavirus tests at facilities for the elderly when any of the residents or staff develops a fever or other symptoms.
The ministry issued a notice to public health centers across the country via prefectural governments on Thursday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu says the government is on the highest alert following the recent nationwide surge in coronavirus infections and is taking steps to curb the spread.
Kato was speaking at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Japan's labor ministry says more than 70,000 people in the country have lost or are about to lose their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The ministry has been checking for cases of workers who have been laid off or have not had their contracts renewed because their employers are struggling with declining business performance.
NHK has learned that Japan's government advisory panel on the coronavirus pandemic has called for stronger measures against cluster infections and more effective border controls.
The panel came up with the emergency guidelines on Monday in response to a current surge of infections in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido and many other regions.
The Japanese government plans to raise public awareness about high-risk situations for contracting the coronavirus and provide assistance to foreign nationals in the country.
The government is warning people to be wary of five situations that could increase the risk of infection.
A job placement center and a university in Tokyo have agreed to work together to help students from abroad find jobs in Japan.
The Shinjuku Hello Work office and Sophia University reached the first agreement of its kind in the country. About 1,500 foreign students are studying at the university.
Japan's transport ministry has approved a measure allowing some taxi operators to reject passengers who refuse to wear face masks without proper reasons.
Ten taxi operators, including a major taxi company in Tokyo, had asked the ministry to review their rules. Taxi drivers are essentially banned from refusing passengers except under some circumstances.
A memorial ceremony has been held in Tokyo for former leprosy patients who died after years of discrimination.
The Japanese government organizes the annual event that is usually held on June 22.
The mayor of Nagasaki City has repeated his call for the Japanese government to ratify the UN treaty banning nuclear weapons.
Mayor Taue Tomihisa said he wants the government to attend a signatories' meeting as an observer if it is difficult for Japan to ratify the treaty.
Six Japanese scholars have accused the government of breaking a law by rejecting them as members of the country's top academic body.
Four of the scholars held a news conference on Friday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Tokyo. Two of them attended via video link.
NHK has learned that Japan's government briefed local authorities on how to dispose of radioactive wastewater stored at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Local sources say the briefing was based on the premise that the water will be released into the sea. The idea has not been supported by the fisheries industry and others.
The Japanese government plans to come up with guidelines to prevent coronavirus infections among people who visit shrines or attend other large-scale events during the New Year holidays.
Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi spoke at the inaugural meeting of an expert panel on Friday.
The Japanese government has lodged a protest over two Chinese patrol ships that navigated in Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands for more than two days. It's the longest intrusion into the waters in eight years.
Coast guard officials say the Chinese vessels entered the waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Sunday morning. They left the waters on Tuesday evening, more than 57 hours later.