Coronavirus outbreak updates: Feb. 2, 2021

As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2

• Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday the government aims to start COVID-19 vaccinations for health workers in Japan in mid-February, earlier than late February as previously targeted.
  
  
• The Japanese government on Tuesday extended the state of emergency covering Tokyo and other regions by one month to March 7, as hospitals remain under pressure despite declining coronavirus cases.
  
  
• People across Japan are expressing concern about the economic and social impact of the government's one-month state of emergency extension expected for Tuesday.
  
  Japan expressed concern Tuesday after the European Union recently tightened its export controls of coronavirus vaccines produced within the bloc, with a Cabinet minister indicating the move could affect the schedule for inoculations in the country.

As of 10 p.m., Monday, Feb. 1

• A team from the World Health Organization is scheduled to visit later this week a laboratory in China's Wuhan, from which the novel coronavirus is rumored to have accidentally released, sources close to the mater said Monday.
  
  
• The Japanese government plans to extend the state of emergency covering Tokyo and other regions struggling to contain coronavirus outbreaks by one month until March 7, an official with knowledge of the situation said Monday.
  
  
• Pakistan is set to launch its COVID-19 vaccination campaign this week as it received on Monday the first batch of a novel coronavirus vaccine developed by China.
  
  
• A 68-year-old man was arrested Monday for allegedly injuring a doctor who asked him not to wear his face mask on the chin at a hospital in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, police said.
  
  
• Japan Airlines Co. said Monday it has revised down its net loss outlook for fiscal 2020 to 300 billion yen ($2.86 billion) from the previous forecast of between 240 billion yen and 270 billion yen due to a further fall in air travel demand amid a global resurgence of coronavirus infections.
  
  
• Tokyo's reported daily coronavirus cases dropped to 393 on Monday, but its cumulative total has topped 100,000, officials said.
  
  
• A senior member of Japan's ruling coalition offered to quit parliament Monday after angering the public by visiting a Tokyo hostess bar despite government calls to avoid unnecessary outings under a state of emergency to rein in the spread of the coronavirus.
  
  
• East Japan Railway Co. started a trial run Monday of a scheme to convert a car on certain shinkansen bullet trains into office space for passengers, as interest in remote work grows in Japan amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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