Japan Govt.: Children Can Chat During School Lunches With Proper Measures

Japan govt.: Children can chat during school lunches with proper measures

Japan's education ministry has notified prefectural officials that children will be allowed to chat during school lunches now that the government's anti-coronavirus rules have changed.

The government's basic measures to deal with the coronavirus urged people to eat or drink only in small groups, and to refrain from speaking with each other. But this passage was deleted last Friday in a revision.

Japan To Promote Measures To Raise Number Of Childbirths

Japan to promote measures to raise number of childbirths

Japan's top government spokesperson says the government will promote comprehensive measures to help increase the number of childbirths.

The health ministry released a preliminary report last week that about 599,000 babies were born in the country from January through September. The figure, including births to foreign nationals, is down about 30,000 from a year earlier.

Japanese Scale Measures Stress Of Covid-19 Workers

Japanese scale measures stress of COVID-19 workers

A group of researchers in Japan has developed a tool to detect mental distress in medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical workers are said to be at high risk of developing mental health problems due to fears of coronavirus infection and social stigma.

Govt. Mulls Strengthening Anti-virus Measures

Govt. mulls strengthening anti-virus measures

The Japanese government plans to step up measures toward the end of the year to fight coronavirus infections.

The government advisory panel on its coronavirus response on Wednesday called for stronger action for a short period of around three weeks. The panel said the government should ask people to refrain from moving to or from areas where the virus is spreading rapidly, if necessary preventive steps are not taken.

Antivirus Measures Shared For Tokyo Games

Antivirus measures shared for Tokyo Games

International gymnastic officials have shared information on anti-coronavirus measures taken at their recent event with Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizers.

The Friendship and Solidarity Competition in Tokyo on Sunday was the first international meet for an Olympic sport held in Japan since the pandemic began.

Governor, Mayor Agree To Step Up Measures

Governor, mayor agree to step up measures

The governor of Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido and the mayor of its biggest city, Sapporo, are united in stepping up preventive measures as coronavirus infections are increasing there again.

Prefectural officials confirmed 75 new cases on Wednesday. Fifty-one of them are in Sapporo. The tally in the prefecture surpassed 70 for the third day in a row.

Govt. Approves Taxi Firms' Anti-virus Measures

Govt. approves taxi firms' anti-virus measures

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.

Japan Tests New Preventive Measures

Japan tests new preventive measures

The Japanese government is trying out various measures to curb the spread of the virus while also supporting the economy. This comes as the number of daily new cases has recently been creeping up.

Japan has been reporting fewer than 1,000 new cases per day for over two months, down from a mid-summer peak.

Anti-virus Measures For University Entrance Exams

Anti-virus measures for university entrance exams

An expert panel has basically approved anti-infection measures to be taken for next year's standardized university entrance exams in Japan, which would take place amid the pandemic.

The measures will allow "close contact" to an infected person to take the test under conditions.

Japan Decides Set Of Coronavirus Measures

Japan decides set of coronavirus measures

Japan's government says it will aim to secure enough coronavirus vaccine for all citizens in the country by the first half of next year.

A government taskforce decided on a set of measures to deal with the outbreak on Friday, with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Cabinet ministers in attendance.

Tokyo Ward Ranks Eateries' Anti-virus Measures

Tokyo ward ranks eateries' anti-virus measures

The government of Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward has started classifying restaurants and bars in terms of their preventive measures against the coronavirus.

The ward provides two types of stickers, Class I or Class II, for businesses to display and lists their names on its website.

Abe Vows Stepped-up Measures Against Coronavirus

Abe vows stepped-up measures against coronavirus

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says he will work to prevent the elderly and other vulnerable people from contracting the coronavirus to avoid declaring another state of emergency.

Abe held a news conference in Nagasaki on Sunday after attending the Peace Memorial Ceremony to remember the victims of the atomic bomb.

Govt. Expects New Anti-infection Measures In Aug.

Govt. expects new anti-infection measures in Aug.

Japan's minister in charge of the coronavirus response says he hopes the government will come up with some results on how to curb infections by the end of this month, using artificial intelligence and other technologies.

Nishimura Yasutoshi on Wednesday addressed the government's expert panel, which includes Professor Emeritus at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies Kurokawa Kiyoshi and Kyoto University Professor Yamanaka Shinya.