Key words : metropolitan second 48 percent
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_12/
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 17,433 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday.
That's the second highest daily count after Friday's, and about 1.6 times the figure from a week earlier.
The seven-day average stands at 13,781.7, nearly double from the previous week.
The capital's occupancy rate for COVID-19 hospital beds was 48 percent, up 1.9 percentage points from Friday.
Key words : dozens of
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_06/
Dozens of post offices in Japan have been forced to suspend in-person services amid the latest wave of coronavirus infections.
Japan Post says that as of Friday evening, 45 branches had halted their counter services after several employees got infected or were classified as close contacts.
Most of the affected branches are small, but some are in urban areas and have large customer bases.
One is in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, and gets an average of about 100 visitors each day. Management suspended counter services on January 20, and has also halted ATM services. People are asked to use a nearby post office instead.
Another post office in Setagaya suspended in-person services last Monday. It typically gets around 1,000 visitors a day.
Japan Post says wherever possible it is sending workers from surrounding branches to assist at outlets that have been hit by sudden staff shortages. But it says this is becoming increasingly difficult.
It says there has been no major impact on its delivery services.
Key words : health authorities struggling
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220128_42/
Health authorities across Japan have reported a record number of new infections for the fourth consecutive day.
The country's daily tally exceeded the 80,000 mark for the first time on Friday. As the highly transmissible Omicron variant becomes dominant, the national figure has more than tripled in just two weeks.
And the effects of the spike are being felt by local authorities. The western city of Osaka is struggling to maintain trash collection services.
Officials say more than 100 of their 1,400 sanitation workers are now unable to do their jobs. Many have been deemed close contacts of people already infected and are required to self-isolate for 10 days.
An Osaka city official says they have been struggling to keep enough garbage collectors on the job, but says it's getting tougher.
The government has decided to shorten the isolation period for close contacts.
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, "As the number of infections continues to rise, we need to strike a balance between preventing the spread of the virus and maintaining social and economic activities as much as possible. "
Kishida also said he will shorten the self-isolation period to seven days. And essential workers can resume work from day five after contact if they test negative for the virus.
Key words : foreign student
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_09/
Demonstrators in several countries have called on the Japanese government to ease its coronavirus entry restrictions.
Participants gathered on Friday in front of Japanese embassies and other places in eight countries, including Germany, Spain and Bangladesh. Those who took part were people trying to come to Japan for study and other purposes.
Japan has barred new foreign arrivals through the end of February as part of its border controls against the Omicron variant.
The demonstrators held up pieces of paper with messages such as "Stop Japan's Ban" and "Waiting for two years."
Jade Barry launched a group that called for the demonstrations. She said members want a specific roadmap and date to plan for entry. She said she loves Japan and its people.
Japan's Immigration Services Agency says that as of October 1, about 147,800 foreigners who wanted to study in Japan were unable to enter the country.
In late January, the government started allowing 87 foreign students with Japanese government scholarships to enter the country. Officials say these people are special cases who have to take in-person classes to meet imminent deadlines for graduation or the completion of their academic work.
The government says it will be flexible in its consideration of whether to grant more exemptions to the entry ban, based on humanitarian grounds, national interests and other special circumstances.
Key words : south record fifth
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_10/
South Korea has confirmed a record high number of coronavirus cases for the fifth straight day, driven by a rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The country's public health authorities said that Friday's tally stood at an all-time high of 17,542. That's 2.5 times the figure from a week earlier.
The case count came as the five-day Lunar New Year holiday began on Saturday.
The government is calling on people to refrain from travelling to their hometowns or elsewhere.
It has banned eating indoors at rest areas along expressways and limited sales of train tickets to window seats only.
South Korean authorities have set up examination centers, are providing free PCR tests nationwide and, on Saturday, began to offer antigen tests whose results become available more quickly.
Health authorities are also accelerating the administering of booster shots, by cutting the interval between the second and thirds shots to 3 months.
The proportion of people in the country who have gotten booster shots has reached 52.3 percent among those eligible for the doses.
Key words : ukraine put on alert
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_07/
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says Russia has amassed enough military capacity on its border with Ukraine to seize the country's cities and territories.
Austin told reporters on Friday the US doesn't believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a final decision to use the forces, but he "clearly now has that capability."
Austin noted Putin has multiple options. He said these include "the seizure of cities and significant territories" and "coercive acts or provocative political acts like the recognition of breakaway territories."
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine. He said this is larger in scale and scope than anything since the Cold War.
He warned an invasion by Russia would "result in a significant amount of casualties."
Austin also stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts. He said, "Conflict is not inevitable. There is still time and space for diplomacy."
Meanwhile, the administration of President Joe Biden has put on alert around 8,500 US-based troops for possible deployment to Europe.
Biden told reporters on Friday he will be moving US troops to eastern Europe and NATO countries, "in the near term," but said the number would be "not a lot."
Key words : security council diplomacy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_08/
The United States has proposed an open meeting of the UN Security Council next Monday to discuss the military crisis over Ukraine. But Russia opposes the move.
The US proposal says Russia's buildup of troops along its border with Ukraine threatens international peace and security.
A senior US administration official said on Friday the meeting would be a clear opportunity for Russia to tell the Security Council whether it sees a path for diplomacy or is interested in pursuing conflict.
Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, criticized the US on Twitter for proposing discussions on what he calls "its own baseless allegations and assumptions."
He expressed hope that other Security Council members will reject the US proposal.
There is speculation Russia might call for a Security Council vote on whether to convene the proposed meeting.
Key words : johnson visit Japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_03/
NHK has learned that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to visit Japan in mid-February for talks with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
It would be the British leader's first time in Japan since taking office, and the second time he has met Kishida in person, following November's COP26 summit in Britain.
Their talks are likely to cover anti-coronavirus measures and the effort to realize a carbon-free society.
They are also expected to reaffirm cooperation on issues such as China's increasingly assertive activities and the rising tensions over Ukraine.
Key words : olympic opening closing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_02/
Taiwan's delegation for the Beijing Winter Olympics will not take part in the opening or closing ceremonies.
Officials said on Friday that the 15-member delegation, which includes four athletes, will be arriving in the Chinese capital in groups from Taiwan, the United States and Switzerland.
They said not all members will be able to arrive by the opening ceremony on February 4 because flights have been adjusted or delayed due to China's pandemic and entry policies.
The officials also said most members will go home after their events are over, and that they will not be in Beijing on the day of the closing ceremony.
Under an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, Taiwan competes with the name "Chinese Taipei" in English. Chinese character notation to that effect was used at the 2008 Beijing Games.
At a news conference on Wednesday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian referred to the delegation using Chinese characters suggesting "Taipei, China."
Some people in Taiwan reacted sharply, saying that Zhu was indicating that Taiwan is part of China's territory.
Key words : commissioner human rights
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220129_05/
China's foreign ministry says it is inviting the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Friday that it has already extended an invitation to Michelle Bachelet. He said China will welcome her to the region, and added that the two sides have been in communication on the matter.
Zhao also said the purpose of the visit is to promote exchanges and cooperation, and that China opposes any attempt to exploit this issue for political purposes.
The United States and other countries have announced diplomatic boycotts of the Beijing Winter Olympics, saying they will not send government officials to the Games. They cited alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
China appears to be eager to quell international criticism. It is unclear if Bachelet has accepted the invitation.
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