[Viêt Nam] Vietnam emerges as sole economic winner in Southeast Asia
GDP to surge past virus-hit Singapore and Malaysia on China manufacturing exodus.
GDP to surge past virus-hit Singapore and Malaysia on China manufacturing exodus.
From India to Thailand, nations seek homegrown shots as global death toll mounts
OSAKA — Japan’s first clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine is underway inside Osaka University Hospital. Some of the small-scale results, along with those from another university, are expected within the next month or so and will determine whether a larger trial can be held in November involving 500 people.
Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam top the list of nations and regions affected
TOKYO — Japan plans to gradually lift overseas travel alerts in October in a bid to spur the removal of entry restrictions implemented in other countries, Nikkei has learned.
Hotel, food service and retail sectors cut back as people stay home
TOKYO — Massive job cuts caused by the coronavirus pandemic are concentrated on sectors that tend to employ many women, a trend that highlights a lopsided economic impact both at home and abroad.
Cost of program to be borne fully by central government
TOKYO — The Japanese government is considering offering free coronavirus vaccines nationwide to all residents who want it, Nikkei has learned. Those at high risk of developing severe symptoms, notably the elderly and health care workers, will receive first priority for vaccination, which will later be expanded to others. The full cost of immunization will be paid for from the national budget to ensure smooth mass vaccination.
SEOUL (Reuters) — South Korean authorities reported the highest daily rise in novel coronavirus cases since early March on Sunday, saying tougher social distancing rules may be needed as outbreaks continued to spread from a Seoul church and other gatherings.
Move comes after criticism that curbs on long-term residents hurt business
TOKYO — Japan has begun preparing to allow long-term foreign residents to return to the country in September, Nikkei has learned, after facing criticism as the only Group of Seven economy to restrict their entry as a measure to prevent coronavirus infection.
Defiant religious group under fire after holding large outdoor rally at weekend
SEOUL — As morning broke, groups of men wearing masks and talking on walkie talkies stood guard along the narrow streets leading to the Sarang Jeil Church, the focal point of a new coronavirus outbreak in South Korea.
Government to compensate for side effects, in bid to secure stable supply
TOKYO — Japan’s government plans to cover compensation for any health problems that may arise here from coronavirus vaccines, seeking to ensure a stable supply from foreign manufacturers as global competition intensifies, Nikkei has learned.
Oral form using ground-up pupae may prove effective against deadly disease. As scientists the world over scramble to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, Kyushu University professor Takahiro Kusakabe and his team are working to develop a unique vaccine using silkworms.
Japan on Wednesday began reopening its borders to tens of thousands of foreign residents locked out since April, as the government attempted to keep the coronavirus at bay. But after four months in limbo, some residents who have lived in Japan for years are questioning the wisdom of returning.
The Japanese health ministry has authorized the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone to treat severe cases of COVID-19 after the inexpensive steroid lowered fatalities by roughly a third in a British trial, marking the second time a candidate has won fast-track approval.
NIKKO, Japan — Masaki Hirano, a hotelier in Japan’s historic city of Nikko, is facing a wave of cancellations from guests in Tokyo. Due to begin on Wednesday, a government plan offering 1.3 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) of travel subsidies aimed at helping coronavirus-battered local economies was scaled down last week. A surge of infections in Tokyo — cases hit a daily high of nearly 300 on Friday — prompted the government to exclude residents of the capital and those traveling there from using the initiative.
Japanese, for decades famous for wearing masks either to filter out springtime pollen or to keep cold and flu season at bay, are now demanding the things in ever greater variations as they extend their habit into a new season, summer.
Lack of testing and delayed numbers take blame for possible undercount
The Japanese capital may have suffered more than 200 excess fatalities from pneumonia and other causes early in the outbreak, possibly dwarfing the period’s official coronavirus death count of 16.