Coronavirus outbreak updates: Jan. 5, 2021

 

As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. ５

• A monthlong state of emergency planned by the Japanese government to contain a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections is expected to knock trillions of yen off private consumption, with some economists predicting the economy will return to contraction.
  
  
• North Korea, despite its claim that the nation does not have even a single case of coronavirus infection, is seeking help from an international framework designed to guarantee equitable global access to vaccines, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
  
  
• New car sales in Japan slumped 11.5 percent in 2020 from a year earlier amid the coronavirus pandemic, marking the largest fall in nine years, data from industry bodies showed Tuesday.
  
  
• The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 1,278 new novel coronavirus infections on Tuesday, logging the second highest daily tally on record, officials said.
  
  
• Yokozuna Hakuho looks unlikely to contest the upcoming New Year Grand Sumo tournament after learning Tuesday he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
  
  
• Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he will decide Thursday whether to declare another state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures as the areas continue to see record numbers of new coronavirus cases.
  
  
• A bluefin tuna fetched just 20.84 million yen ($202,000) on Tuesday at the New Year's auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market, a price far lower than in previous years as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic weighs on the restaurant industry.

As of 11 p.m., Monday, Jan. 4

• Japan plans to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures this week and lasting for about one month to curb its largest-yet surge of coronavirus cases, government officials said Monday.
  
  
• Reactions were mixed following Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's suggestion Monday that the government may soon declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures, following an unabated rise in infections over the New Year holidays.
  
  
• Japan's central and local governments as well as many businesses began the year's first day of work Monday facing the challenge of dealing with the continued spread of the novel coronavirus.
  
  
• The number of coronavirus patients with serious symptoms in Tokyo hit a record 108 on Monday, exceeding the previous high of 105 logged in April last year during the state of emergency amid concerns over hospital capacity.
  
  
• Japan's economy is expected to make its sharpest rebound in decades this year, with consumption set to pick up toward the end of 2021 as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the broader economy eases.