Japan Travel, COVID-19, And You: Guidelines On Travel & Pandemic News Update Thread – July 2021

##**July 2021 -** [**The ban on all New Entries has been confirmed to continue indefinitely,**](https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/) **unless there are special exceptional circumstances – tourism/tourist visas do not fall under this definition.**

**At present, entry is only permitted for Japanese Nationals, Permanent Residents, or Foreign Nationals with current residency IN Japan, or Spouses of those groups. If you need to travel to Japan as a non-resident in special exceptional circumstances, please contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate. Please note that to be allowed to board a plane to Japan,** [**you will need to confirm your negative PCR test result on a specific form.**](https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page25e_000334.html) **Ensure you confirm with both airline and Japanese embassy/consulate which testing facilities are recognized by airline in question & Japanese immigration. We strongly urge you to check with the** [**Embassy of Japan in your departure county to confirm your entry**](https://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html) **in advance.**

**At this time we do not anticipate the borders reopening to International Tourism until 2022. Please check** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=Japan+Travel%2C+COVID-19%2C+And+You%3A+Guidelines+On+Travel+%26+Pandemic+News+Update+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all) **for previous Pandemic Megathreads on this topic, dating back to 2020.**

##**Frequently Asked Questions – July 2021**

>- **”Will Japan reopen to those who have already been fully vaccinated against the virus?” According to The Japan Times,** [**Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a news conference on March 19th, 2021**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/19/national/vaccine-passports/) **that Japan has no plans to ease travel restrictions for travelers with vaccine certificates issued overseas.**

>- [**What about the Vaccine Passport I’m hearing about?**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/61252db2ea56-japan-to-begin-accepting-requests-for-vaccine-passports-from-july-26.html) **The vaccination certificates will be official records issued by municipalities showing a person has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with information such as name, passport number and date of vaccination also included. The certificates will be issued by the end of July, initially in paper form, and a digital format will be considered later. Applications will open on July 26th, 2021, and the certificate will be free of charge.**

>- **If you are looking for more information as a potential New Entrant affected by the ban, please go to** [**/r/movingtojapan’s Megathread for discussion.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/nma3u5/covid_19_entry_restrictions_discussion_thread/)

>- **If you are seeking information on *re-entry with the new restrictions*, [**start with past /r/japanlife Megathreads, especially in regards to quarantine measures.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/search?q=covid-19+discussion+thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all) Questions regarding this topic will be removed and redirected.**

>- **If you are still in Japan and need to renew your Tourist Visa, you will need to contact the Authorities at the** [**Immigration Services Agency Of Japan**](http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/) **to confirm you are still able to renew and continue your stay if necessary. Questions regarding this topic will be removed.**

>- **Are you arriving in Japan for a stopover while on the way to another country? Transit through Japan is ONLY possible through Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, or Kansai Airport. *You cannot depart any airport to catch a flight to your destination without facing quarantine measures. Please review the Updated Quarantine measures noted below from May 2021.* Please speak to your airline right away if you have concerns. Questions regarding this topic will be removed.**

>- [**Japan-Guide.com is keeping a list of tourist attractions that have been affected by the ongoing pandemic.**](https://www.japan-guide.com/news/alerts.html) This list is kept for closures and re-openings of popular tourist attractions, and is updated as necessary.

##**Confirmed Cases, Vaccinations Administered, News Sources, and Maps – Updated: 07/31**

>**As of this writing, Japan has 927,117 (+12,341) confirmed cases, and 15,206 (+9) people have died.**

>- [**Total number of 1st vaccine doses administered as of 07/29 to the general population: 48,862,145 (+591,915) – 38.43% of total pop.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/)

>- [**Total number of 2nd vaccine doses administered as of 07/29 to the general population: 34,323,238 (+824,055) – 27.64% of total pop.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/)

>- [**Inoculation rate for the Elderly for 1st dose as of 07/30: 86.07% – 2nd Dose as of 07/30: 74.53%**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/)

>- [**NHK News Japan Prefectural Infection Map.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/data/)

>- [**NHK Japan Prefectural Vaccination Status Map – Tokyo & Prefectures.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/pref/tokyo/)

>- [**NHK World Coronavirus Portal – Daily News Update.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/82/)

>- [**Reuters – Factbox: Coronavirus outbreaks at the Tokyo Olympics.**](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/coronavirus-incidents-tokyo-olympics-2021-07-15/)

##**PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATES – July 2021**

**07/31** – [**Kyodo News – 2 Georgian judoka ejected from Olympics for violating COVID protocols.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/5170182692b0-tokyo-olympic-participant-deprived-of-accreditation-over-sightseeing.html)

**07/30** – [**Mainichi – Japan COVID-19 infections spreading at ‘unprecedented speed’: PM Suga**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210730/p2g/00m/0na/083000c)

**07/30** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Young people told to get shots that are largely unavailable.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14407036)

**07/30** – [**Asahi Shimbun – COVID-19 likely to see ‘explosive’ growth in Tokyo, experts warn.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14407081)

**07/30** – [**Mainichi – Explainer: Detailing Japan’s new COVID-19 state of emergency.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210730/p2g/00m/0na/068000c)

**07/30** – [**Kyodo News – Japan decides to add Osaka, areas near Tokyo to COVID emergency**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/9fdac6380081-japan-to-expand-covid-emergency-to-4-prefectures-amid-virus-surge.html)

**07/30** – [**Kyodo News – Japan logs record new coronavirus cases for 3rd day in row.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/d34e823f8fd4-japan-logs-record-new-coronavirus-cases-for-3rd-day-in-row.html)

**07/29** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Japan, Tokyo, Olympics each hit new record of COVID-19 cases.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14406423)

**07/29** – [**Mainichi – COVID-19 case spikes have Japan’s local gov’ts scrambling to stop 5th wave**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210729/p2a/00m/0na/016000c)

**07/29** – [**Kyodo News – Gov’t to expand COVID state of emergency to Osaka, areas near Tokyo**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/2c51b57828f2-urgent-govt-to-issue-covid-state-of-emergency-in-osaka-areas-near-tokyo.html)

**07/28** – [**Mainichi – Record infections stoke fears of unprecedented Tokyo virus spread from Olympic complacency.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210728/p2a/00m/0na/022000c)

**07/28** – [**Kyodo News – Japan’s daily COVID-19 cases top 9,000 for 1st time amid Olympics.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/303a2fe59101-breaking-news-tokyos-daily-covid-cases-to-top-3000-for-1st-time-govt-source.html) The capital confirmed 3,177 COVID-19 cases, hitting a record for the second straight day and pushing up the nationwide tally to exceed the previous all-time high of 7,958 set Jan. 8, as hospitals come under increasing strain.

**07/27** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Tokyo logs 2,848 new COVID-19 cases, record for a single day.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14404508)

**07/26** – [**Kyodo News – Tokyo Olympic-linked COVID-19 cases top 150 since start of July.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/0c4bd0439b54-tokyo-olympic-linked-covid-19-cases-top-150-since-start-of-july.html)

**07/25** – [**Nikkei Asia – Analog Japan’s paper-only vaccine certificates worry airlines.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Analog-Japan-s-paper-only-vaccine-certificates-worry-airlines)

**07/24** – [**Mainichi – Typhoon Nepartak heading toward Japan during Olympics.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210724/p2a/00m/0na/021000c)

**07/24** – [**NHK News – 17 Olympics-related infections confirmed.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210724_12/_) The total number of Olympics-related infections since July 1, when the organizing committee started announcing the cases, to Saturday, is 123.

**07/22** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Violators of ‘playbook’ rules have Olympic badges pulled.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14401575)

**07/22** – [**Nikkei Asia – A 40-degree fever and splitting headaches: The delta variant up close.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/A-40-degree-fever-and-splitting-headaches-The-delta-variant-up-close)

**07/22** – [**Japan Times – Japan’s vaccine passports: Here’s what you need to know.**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/22/national/vaccine-passports-explainer/)

**07/22** – [**Mainichi – Many local gov’ts ‘unclear’ about achieving Japan’s vaccine goals due to supply shortages.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210722/p2a/00m/0na/017000c) Among 69 Japanese municipal governments including prefectural capitals and Tokyo’s 23 wards, 42 respondents, or about 61%, answered it is “unclear” if they can meet the central government’s initial goal of “inoculating everyone who wishes to do so by the end of November,” while four respondents, or 6%, said it was “impossible” as of July 16.

**07/22** – [**The Asahi Shimbun – Hospital beds for virus patients in Tokyo fill to most serious level 4.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14401006) The occupancy rate of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients in serious condition in Tokyo has reached the most severe stage, and scientists warn that the situation could rapidly worsen in the coming weeks. The occupancy rate hit 52 percent, putting that category in gauging the infection spread at stage 4 of a four-level alert under the central government’s standards. Tokyo is also at stage 4 in terms of the number of daily new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, infected people with non serious symptoms recuperating at hotels and homes, and the rate of positive tests for the virus, data by the metropolitan government showed.

**07/22** – [**Kyodo News – Tokyo reports 1,979 new COVID-19 cases, day before Olympic ceremony.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/ff7176991cef-urgent-tokyo-reports-1979-new-covid-19-cases-day-before-olympic-ceremony.html) The latest figure represents an increase of 671 from Thursday last week, bringing the seven-day rolling average of cases to 1,373.4 per day, up 55.7 percent from the previous week. Health experts have warned of a possible “critical” coronavirus situation in Tokyo and that a “fifth wave” of infections is under way.
They have also estimated that daily infections could hit a record of around 2,600 in early August. The Olympics will run until Aug. 8.

**07/21** – [**Mainichi – Infections won’t decline even if 60% of population vaccinated: Japan task force head.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210721/p2a/00m/0na/007000c) Omi pointed out that “if 60 to 70% of the population is inoculated, the number of seriously ill patients will decrease, but infections cannot be completely prevented.” When asked about how the U.K. ended most of its infection countermeasures such as mask mandates and restrictions on the number of participants at events in England on July 19, including London, he replied, “That’s a pretty risky way to go about it. Japan should be a little more careful.”

**07/21** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Omi: Tokyo could approach 3,000 new infections in early August.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14400040) Tokyo will likely see a single-day record of nearly 3,000 new COVID-19 cases in early August, putting an enormous strain on the medical system, the chief of the government’s anti-virus task force said. “It is possible that new cases will double in two weeks’ time, topping the peak of the third infection wave that occurred around the New Year holidays,” Shigeru Omi said on a Nippon Television Network news program on July 20. On that day, the number of newly confirmed novel coronavirus infections was 1,387 in the capital.

**07/21** – [**Kyodo News – Italy, Turkey to accept Japan’s vaccine passport from next week.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/04a5fb697422-italy-turkey-to-accept-japans-vaccine-passport-from-next-week.html) **Five countries including Italy and Turkey have agreed to ease COVID-19 quarantine rules for travelers who have vaccine passports issued by Japan from next week, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The other countries are Austria, Bulgaria and Poland, with Japan currently in negotiations with dozens more. The arrangement is one-way only, with Japan not recognizing similar certificates from those countries for the time being, a government official said in a press briefing.**

**07/20** – [**Reuters – Tokyo 2020 chief Muto doesn’t rule out cancelling Games.**](https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/iocs-bach-lauds-medical-workers-says-games-will-send-powerful-message-peace-2021-07-20/) Asked at a news conference if the global sporting showpiece might still be cancelled, Toshiro Muto said he would keep an eye on infection numbers and liaise with other organizers if necessary. “We will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases,” said Muto. “We have agreed that based on the coronavirus situation, we will convene five-party talks again. At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises.”

**07/20** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Unprepared Olympic arrivals exacerbate airport confusion.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14399314) Others said many Olympic-related arrivals had clearly not read the organizers’ so-called playbook that lays out the rules for the time they are in Japan. One rule is that all arrivals download OCHA, a special tracking app, onto their smartphones. One airport source said: “Close to half of the arrivals connected with the Olympics have not downloaded it. Some appear not to have read the playbook at all.”

**07/20** – [**Mainichi – Takeda to import extra 50 mil. Moderna COVID-19 doses to Japan in 2022.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210720/p2g/00m/0bu/081000c) The Japanese government has already signed an agreement to receive 50 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine by the end of 2021. The vaccine is being used in mass vaccination sites and workplace inoculations in Japan, but the government has said supplies are limited.

**07/20** – [**Japan Times – Japan starts checking COVID-19 vaccination status of overseas arrivals.**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/20/national/vaccine-status-check/) While Japan has decided to issue so-called vaccine passports to enable residents who have been fully inoculated against the novel coronavirus to travel internationally, it has yet to ease border measures for holders of such vaccine certificates issued abroad. But with more than 10 different vaccines used around the world, a number of issues remain to be resolved, including whether those not approved by the government will be recognized. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been asking overseas arrivals quarantining at facilities to fill in voluntary questionnaires since early July, the sources said. The questionnaires, based on self-reporting with no proof required, ask whether individuals have received any doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including those not currently approved in Japan, and if 14 days have elapsed since their last shot. Japan has so far approved vaccines developed by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. as well as Britain’s AstraZeneca PLC.

**07/19** – [**Mainichi – What Olympic ‘bubble’? Entry loopholes result in contact between athletes, fans.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210719/p2a/00m/0na/026000c) As foreign Olympic delegations arrive in Japan one after another ahead of the games’ opening on July 23, a “bubble system” to separate them from outside parties to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is showing its own limits, with some athletes coming close to general travelers at an airport and fans asking for autographs from delegates.

**07/19** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Tokyo on pace for 1,382 virus cases by Opening Ceremony day.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14398519) As of July 18, the week-over-week rise in the seven-day average was 46 percent, a level higher than when Tokyo was placed under the second state of emergency on Jan. 7. If the 46-percent pace continues, the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases would hit 1,382 on July 23, when the Olympic Opening Ceremony is scheduled to be held, 1,478 on July 24, and 1,560 on July 25.

**07/19** – [**Kyodo News – Japan’s Narita, Haneda airports start facial recognition in full scale.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/f104681f01b8-narita-haneda-airports-start-facial-recognition-in-full-scale.html) After registering necessary data with special terminals, cameras at baggage check-in, security checkpoint entrances and boarding gates will automatically verify passengers’ identity and allow them to pass through, Narita International Airport Corp. said. […] Passenger data, including facial images, will be deleted within 24 hours after registration to protect privacy.

**07/17** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Japan’s Olympic security balancing act leaves few satisfied.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14397538) So far, the majority of Olympic athletes and other participants have been exempted from typical quarantine requirements. There have been regular breakdowns in security as the sheer enormity of trying to police so many visitors becomes clearer — and the opening ceremony looms. The Japanese press is filled with reports of Olympic-related people testing positive for the coronavirus. Photos and social media posts show foreigners linked to the Games breaking mask rules and drinking in public, smoking in airports — even, if the bios are accurate, posting on dating apps.

**07/17** – [**Kyodo News – Most major cities in Japan revise vaccine plans amid supply crunch.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/d0b87533202d-most-major-cities-in-japan-revise-vaccine-plans-amid-supply-crunch.html) Of the surveyed local governments, 37 said their revised plans include suspending, delaying or scaling back reservations by residents, as the central government’s supplies of Pfizer Inc. vaccine are not able to meet the pace of their inoculations. A total of 33 cities, or 70 percent, said the amount of doses allocated for July remains less than half the desired amount, with Fukui, Okayama and Nagasaki saying they are receiving only about 20 percent of what they had expected to procure, according to the survey.

**07/17** – [**NHK News – Foreign resident at Olympic village tests positive.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210717_14/) This is the first positive case to be confirmed at the village among people from abroad. The facility opened on Tuesday. The organizing committee said the person was tested on Friday, but didn’t disclose further details. Sources say the person is a non-athlete. On Saturday, seven other people who are in Japan from overseas in connection with the Tokyo Games were confirmed to be infected, bringing the total to eight. Two of them are members of the media.

**07/16** – [**Kyodo News – Tokyo’s new daily COVID-19 cases top 1,000 for 3rd straight day.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/a93d398a6722-breaking-news-tokyos-new-daily-covid-19-cases-top-1000-for-3rd-straight-day.html) The figure in the capital, which is currently under a fourth COVID-19 state of emergency amid a resurgence of infections, hit 1,308 on Thursday, its highest level since late January. […] Health experts advising the metropolitan government have warned the moving average could jump to 2,406 by Aug. 11, shortly after the Olympics end on Aug. 8, topping the third wave that swept across Tokyo in the winter.

**07/15** – [**Kyodo News – Japan’s vaccine czar pumps brakes amid supply crunch.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/0ef85322b3ef-japans-vaccine-czar-pumps-brakes-amid-supply-crunch.html) Local governments in Japan need to slow down in administering COVID-19 vaccine to residents as supply is expected to remain limited in the coming months, the minister in charge of vaccination efforts said Thursday. Taro Kono said Japan has secured sufficient Pfizer Inc. doses for about 1.2 million vaccinations per day through September, and called on prefectures and municipalities to “optimize” their schedules accordingly. The request comes as local governments have complained that they were encouraged by the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to rapidly expand vaccination capacity, only to be told that supply would not keep up.

**07/15** – [**NHK News – Tokyo reports over 1,300 new infection cases.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210715_34/) On Thursday, they found the second highest number of such infections ever. Health experts warn if daily case numbers continue to increase at the current rate, the weekly average will surpass 2,400 in four weeks.

**07/14** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Tokyo reports 1,149 infections, topping peak in fourth wave.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14395062) Metropolitan government officials said the latest number not only exceeded the May 13 tally of 1,010 new infections, but it also topped the peak in the fourth wave of the infections, which was 1,121 set on May 8. The capital has now seen week-on-week increases in new COVID cases for 25 straight days.

**07/13** – [**NHK News – Vaccine distribution adjusted to address shortages.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210713_06/) The country’s vaccine rollout has been gaining speed after making a slow start. But now, some local governments are facing supply bottlenecks, forcing some to stop accepting bookings for inoculations. The move has prompted ministry officials to review the allocation of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses for the first two weeks of August.

**07/13** – [**Nikkei Asia – Japan asks Italy, Greece and others to take ‘vaccine passports’.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Japan-asks-Italy-Greece-and-others-to-take-vaccine-passports) The government will negotiate with countries that currently offer some entry privileges to those who can prove that they have been vaccinated. Those countries are mainly in Europe, and include France, Estonia, and Iceland. China and the U.S. are not on the list for now. Countries that waive restrictions for vaccine passport holders will be announced on the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s website. Under the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, countries typically impose or lift entry measures together. The Japanese government had been considering easing entry restrictions for vaccinated travelers from abroad in conjunction with the issuance of Japan’s vaccine passport, but the COVID-19 caseload in Tokyo worsened and the government declared a state of emergency for the capital for the fourth time on Monday, scotching the plan.

**07/12** – [**Kyodo News – Japan to issue vaccine passports free of charge.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/fda26079cda5-japan-to-issue-vaccine-passports-free-of-charge.html) Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference that starting July 26, people will be able to apply for the certificates in the municipalities where they were registered as a resident at the time they got their shots. The Foreign Ministry’s website will feature a list of countries and regions that will ease quarantine measures for those with a vaccine passport, Kato said. Japan is looking to have its vaccination passports accepted by over 10 nations, including Italy, France and Greece, according to government sources.

**07/11** – [**Kyodo News – Japan governors call for sufficient COVID-19 vaccine supply.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/7093df360bf6-japan-governors-call-for-sufficient-covid-19-vaccine-supply.html) The governors said local governments were forced to suspend accepting appointments for the COVID-19 vaccination, as well as canceling appointments, after the state pressured local authorities to accelerate the pace of providing shots. The proposal urged Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government to recognize that its handling of the situation has caused confusion, even though local authorities have been trying to meet the government’s goal of finishing inoculating all people in the country who want to receive shots by October or November.

**07/11** – [**Kyodo News – Tokyo enters 4th COVID-19 emergency, covering Olympics period
.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/98a3d7ca3a7d-tokyo-enters-4th-covid-19-emergency-covering-olympics-period.html) With the measure, to last until Aug. 22, a period that will cover the duration of the Tokyo Olympics, the government aims to curb the movements of people during the global sports event, as well as the summer vacation period including Japan’s “bon” holiday in mid-August. The Summer Games, which will open July 23 and end Aug. 8, will be held behind closed doors at almost all venues.

**07/11** – [**Kyodo News – Japan to begin accepting requests for vaccine passports from July 26**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/61252db2ea56-japan-to-begin-accepting-requests-for-vaccine-passports-from-july-26.html) The vaccination certificates will be official records issued by municipalities showing a person has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with information such as name, passport number and date of vaccination also included. Kato said last month the certificates will be issued by the end of July, initially in paper form. A digital format will be considered later.

**07/10** – [**Kyodo News – Over 70% of Japan’s elderly to be vaccinated by end of July: tally.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/db2e94256cb2-over-70-of-japans-elderly-to-be-vaccinated-by-end-of-july-tally.html) Suga has said he aims to promote the vaccination of those under 65 and finish inoculating all eligible people in Japan who wish to receive shots by November as the country grapples with a resurgence of infections. Suga’s top COVID-19 adviser, Shigeru Omi, cautioned against the recent rise in patients with severe symptoms in the 40s and 50s due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, first detected in India. Omi said vaccinating those in their 40s and 50s early is the key to containing the pandemic in the future.

**07/09** – [**The Mainichi – Tokyo sees rapid rise in COVID-19 infections ahead of 4th state of emergency.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210709/p2a/00m/0na/004000c) The number of patients with serious symptoms increased to 62 from 47 in the previous week. Of the 62 people, 37% were in their 50s. There have also been reports of serious cases among those in their 20s to 40s, signifying people in working generations who have not been vaccinated are getting infected and their symptoms are becoming serious, while vaccinations among elderly people are proceeding.

**07/09** – [**Mainichi – Supply shortage casts shadow over Japan’s vaccine policy as more reservations suspended.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210709/p2a/00m/0na/035000c) If the inoculation pace slows down, the government’s virus strategy may fall apart. Yet the prime minister has stressed that it will be possible to continue with around 1.2 million daily shots if vaccine stocks and future supplies are utilized. He also suggested supplying additional vaccine doses to municipalities that are getting ahead in inoculations, but it remains unclear whether such a step can put an end to the confusion prevailing among local governments.

**07/08** – [**Kyodo News – Tokyo Olympics to be held mostly without spectators due to pandemic.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/094df0533231-urgent-ioc-chief-bach-arrives-in-japan-for-tokyo-olympics.html) After Tokyo started to reel from a COVID-19 rebound, the Japanese government and the organizing committee once planned to lower the spectator cap to 5,000. However, Tokyo on Wednesday reported 920 new infections, registering the highest daily count since mid-May, while medical experts continue to warn of the dangers of going ahead with the games when many countries are grappling with the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. On Thursday, Tokyo reported 896 new cases of the virus, exceeding the number logged a week earlier for the 19th straight day.

**07/08** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Tokyo will be under 4th state of emergency as Olympics loom.**](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14390347) The state of emergency will run from July 12 until Aug. 22, covering the entire period of the Tokyo Olympics, including the Opening Ceremony scheduled for July 23. The Closing Ceremony will be held Aug. 8. The state of emergency in place for Okinawa Prefecture will also continue until Aug. 22, while pre-emergency measures will be extended until that date for Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, which all neighbor Tokyo, as well as Osaka in western Japan. The pre-emergency measures now in place for five other prefectures–Hokkaido, Aichi, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka–will expire on July 11.

**07/07** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Slow data entry causing snafu in supplying COVID-19 doses.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14388634) The central government had wanted to manage the program through a vaccination recording system (VRS), which is designed to show who has been inoculated as well as which municipalities appear ready for more vaccine doses. But some medical centers have entered the data into the computer system up to a month after the jabs are given. Some municipalities have received fewer doses than they need because the failure to swiftly record the shots makes the VRS system show they still have more doses on hand.

**07/06** – [**Mainichi – As Tokyo Olympics approach, virus worries rise in Japan.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210706/p2g/00m/0sp/081000c) Japan’s fully vaccinated rate of 13.8% is slightly above the world average of 11.3% but low compared with 47.4% in the United States and 49.5% in the U.K., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Our World in Data. Adding to the worries is uncertainty about Japan’s vaccination campaign. Workplace inoculations began in mid-June, with thousands of companies applying to vaccinate employees. But the government then indefinitely halted taking new applications for workplace and large-scale vaccination sites due to tight vaccine supplies. “The progress exceeded our expectations,” said vaccinations minister Taro Kono, noting that daily shots have likely reached 1.2 million or more. He said Japan will receive only one-third of the Pfizer-BioNTechPfizer vaccine supply it had hoped to receive by late July.

**07/04** – [**Kyodo News – Japan seeks to have vaccine passports accepted by over 10 nations.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/5733154499a7-japan-seeks-to-have-vaccine-passports-accepted-by-over-10-nations.html) If the agreements are reached, certificate holders will be exempt from quarantine or showing negative test results for COVID-19 when traveling from Japan to those countries, the sources said. But the Japanese government plans to continue requiring travelers entering Japan, including returnees, to quarantine for two weeks even if they have been vaccinated. The position has complicated negotiations with countries such as Singapore and Israel, which have called for mutual exemption, the sources said.

**07/03** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Municipalities forced to suspend vaccinations due to dire shortage.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14386679) The Pfizer vaccine has been used to inoculate senior citizens aged 65 and older, the first group to receive jabs outside of medical care professionals. But the central government also announced plans to allow shots to be administered at workplaces and universities from June 21. The vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. of the United States is being used for the workplace vaccinations. Inundated with requests from companies and universities for vaccines, the Moderna supply of 50 million doses quickly ran out, leading the government to shift some of the Pfizer vaccines that would have been used by local governments at mass vaccination centers to the workplace program.

**07/02** – [**Asahi Shimbun – Experts: Virus cases in Tokyo rising faster than during 4th wave.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14385877) Nishida said the late-night pedestrian traffic had already reached levels of late March when Tokyo entered the fourth wave of infections. He added that people who remained out until late at night were at greater risk of becoming infected. Metropolitan and central government officials have already raised the possibility of issuing new requests for businesses to stop serving alcohol. But other officials said such calls may no longer be heeded, given the fatigue people are feeling from having to comply with such requests for more than a year.

**07/02** – [**Kyodo News – Japan eyes ending full operation of state vaccination sites in Aug.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/f4e0649427bc-japan-eyes-ending-full-operation-of-state-vaccination-sites-in-aug.html) The winding down of the centers operated by the Self-Defense Forces comes as access to vaccinations has broadened with inoculations also available at workplaces and universities as well as under local government-led campaigns. But with the central government halting company applications for inoculations indefinitely due to concerns it will be unable to distribute doses quickly enough, it remains unclear if the rollout will continue to proceed smoothly.

**07/01** – [**Kyodo News – PM Suga says Tokyo Olympics may be held without spectators.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/7bf2bb4d1a2f-breaking-news-suga-says-staging-tokyo-olympics-without-spectators-possible.html) Health experts have warned that at the current pace the daily figure could balloon to 3,000 in August. Suga said any new decision on how to handle local fans at venues will be made by consensus among the five organizing bodies of the Tokyo Games — which are the central and metropolitan governments, the Japanese organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee.

**07/01** – [**NHK News – Experts: Concern on Tokyo resurgence of over 1,000.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210701_35/) Tokyo health officials confirmed 673 new cases on Thursday. That is up 103 from the same day last week. It also marks a week-on-week increase for a 12th straight day. Disease Control and Prevention Center Director Ohmagari Norio said, “Considering the increased foot traffic and the virus variants, cases are likely to increase faster than during the third wave earlier this year.”