Key words : free test drug store
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_11/
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has begun offering free coronavirus tests to all people who want them.
The campaign began on Saturday, the day after authorities reported the capital's first apparent community transmission of the Omicron variant. The infected person has no record of recent overseas travel.
Officials say Tokyo residents who are worried they may be infected can also get tested, even if they have no symptoms.
The campaign has started at 12 private testing locations.
Young people, families, and others crowded one site in Shinjuku Ward as soon as it opened.
A sophomore student said he came to get tested as he plans to attend the coming of age ceremony in his hometown in Iwate Prefecture.
He said he appreciates the free testing program. He said before his previous homecoming, he had to pay for it.
Officials say they will make testing available at drug stores as well, starting on Monday at the earliest.
They aim to conduct 30,000 tests a day at around 180 locations.
Key words : merck 30 percent free
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211224_24/
Japan's health ministry has authorized the use of an oral COVID-19 drug developed by US pharmaceutical firm Merck.
The decision came on Friday. The ministry plans to deliver molnupiravir to medical institutions, drugstores and other facilities nationwide so that patients can start taking it as early as next week.
The drug is the first oral medicine in Japan for preventing coronavirus patients from developing severe symptoms.
Patients who can receive molnupiravir must be at least 18 years old, have mild or moderate symptoms and be at risk of becoming seriously ill. It will not be prescribed for pregnant women.
The drug will be administered within five days of the onset of symptoms. It will come in the form of pills, to be taken twice a day for five days.
The ministry says the drug will be provided for free.
Merck says a clinical trial shows that molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by about 30 percent.
The medicine is expected to help reduce the burden on patients and medical institutions because it can be taken at home.
The ministry has secured supplies for 1.6 million patients. Sufficient doses for 200,000 people will be provided this year.
Key words : US lift travel ban
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_12/
The United States has announced that it will lift a travel ban on eight southern African countries imposed over concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The US imposed the ban on visitors from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and five other countries in November following the spread of the Omicron variant.
White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz tweeted on Friday that travel restrictions will be lifted on December 31.
Munoz wrote that the restrictions gave the administration time to understand Omicron and realize the existing vaccines are effective against the variant.
The measure comes as most daily cases in the US are now of the Omicron variant, and the travel ban is no longer seen as being necessary.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden suggested the travel pause might be lifted as it has served its purpose.
COVID-19 infections continue to rise in the US, with the weekly average of new daily cases topping 170,000.
The Biden administration says it will try to curb the number through vaccinations and testing, without severe restrictions.
Key words : britain 114
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_09/
Britain has reported a record-high number of new COVID-19 infections for three days in a row.
The country's daily count of new coronavirus cases topped 122,000 on Friday. The daily number of infections with the Omicron variant reached a new high of more than 23,700, bringing the total to about 114,000.
In England, 29 people infected with the variant died by Thursday. The number of hospitalizations has also been rising.
Britain's government is speeding up the rollout of vaccine booster shots.
About 56 percent of the population aged 12 and older has received boosters. Some vaccination venues are open during the Christmas holidays.
Officials fear further spreading of infections, as many people are traveling during the period.
The government is expected to discuss as early as at the beginning of next week whether to introduce stricter restrictions in England based on the latest data.
Key words : northern cold air hokkaido
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_10/
Japanese weather officials say a severe cold air mass will move over the country this weekend, bringing heavy snow mainly to the Japan Sea coast. They warn even low lying areas may see intensifying snowfalls over a short period on Sunday.
The Meteorological Agency says such an influx of cold air has not been seen in several years. Heavy snow is forecast mainly on the Japan Sea coast, from northern to western Japan.
Officials say the seasonal weather pattern is already bringing snow to northern Japan, including Hokkaido, and winds are picking up in coastal areas.
Expected 24-hour snowfalls through Sunday morning are up to 70 centimeters in Niigata Prefecture; up to 60 centimeters in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions; up to 50 centimeters in Nagano Prefecture; up to 40 centimeters in Hokkaido and the Chugoku region, and up to 30 centimeters in northern Kanto and Kansai regions.
The cold air is expected to extend south on Sunday to the Pacific coast of western Japan. People are urged to be on the alert against snow accumulation even in urban areas on the Pacific coast of western and central Japan, and flatlands in Shikoku and Kyushu.
Gusty winds are forecast over a wide area. Expected maximum wind speeds in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Niigata prefecture through Sunday are between 72 and 82 kilometers per hour. Maximum instantaneous wind speeds may reach 108 to 126 kilometers per hour. Blizzard conditions can be expected.
The weather agency warns against snow disrupting traffic, gusty winds and avalanches. Blackouts are also possible due to broken power lines under accumulated snow.
People in northern Japan are advised to brace for blizzards, gusty winds, and high swells.
Key words : okinawa drunk driving double
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_13/
Police in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa have arrested a US service member for alleged drunk driving. The arrest comes as Okinawa's authorities call for restrictions on outings from the base where the service member is posted to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Police say a 24-year-old corporal posted at the US Marine Corps' Camp Hansen was arrested. He allegedly drove a scooter while under the influence of alcohol in Naha City early on Saturday. Neither he, nor another Marine on the scooter with him, wore a helmet.
Police say the corporal's alcohol level was more than double the legal limit.
The corporal reportedly told police he had whisky and beer at a bar in Naha from around 5 p.m. on Friday.
He also reportedly said he did not think the alcohol level in his body was high enough to get him arrested.
Camp Hansen has recently seen a cluster of coronavirus infections, with more than 200 people testing positive. Japanese workers and others at the base have been confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant.
Authorities in Okinawa asked the Japanese and US governments to ban outings of all service members and civilians from the base.
Key words : gorbachev
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_07/
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has stressed the importance of continued dialogue amid tensions between Russia and the United States over Ukraine.
Russia's Interfax news agency carried a written interview with the 90-year-old Gorbachev on Friday, one day before the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union.
The world's first socialist country maintained one-party rule by the Communist Party from its foundation in 1922.
Gorbachev resigned as president of the USSR on December 25, 1991, ending its 69-year history.
In the interview, Gorbachev said that without his relations with Western leaders, including personal ties, the Cold War, the arms race and regional conflicts around the world could not have ended.
Gorbachev also referred to the current international situation. He said serious talks on nuclear weapons and European security have finally begun, adding that it is necessary to expand the agenda and continue dialogue even in difficult times.
Many people in Russia say Gorbachev is to blame for the collapse of the USSR. In a survey released by an independent polling firm on Friday, 63 percent of respondents expressed regret over the dissolution.
Gorbachev said the Soviet Union's demise should not be blamed on his policy of perestroika, or restructuring, stressing that it allowed people to enjoy many rights and freedoms, such as those of speech and assembly.
Key words : defense santa
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211225_05/
US and Canadian air defense officials say Santa Claus has set off on his annual Christmas trip around the world.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is tracking Santa and his reindeer as they deliver Christmas presents.
A special NORAD website provides updates on Santa's progress. It has already shown Santa traveling over Mount Fuji, Tokyo Tower, and Tokyo Skytree in Japan.
A NORAD official said Santa Claus is observing anti-coronavirus measures this year by wearing a mask and keeping a two-meter distance from fairies and other magical creatures.
The defense command normally tracks missiles. It started this Christmas tradition 66 years ago, after children called officers by mistake and asked to speak to Santa.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿