While the "priority vaccination" of medical personnel against the new coronavirus is underway, the vaccination of doctors, nurses, "medical officers" and "nursing officers" working in the Self-Defense Forces began on August 8.
A private research institute that surveyed the impact of the spread of the disease on part-time and casual workers estimated that there are more than 1.4 million people in Japan who have lost more than 50% of their shifts and have not received payment for absence from work.
People in Fukuoka, western Japan, have expressed concerns about a possible surge of coronavirus infections in the prefecture after the state of emergency was lifted a week ago.
In Osaka Prefecture, where the state of emergency has been lifted, the government has begun to distribute PCR test kits to people without symptoms in an effort to quickly detect signs of the spread of the new coronavirus.
An advisory panel to the Japanese government has approved a two-week extension of the coronavirus state of emergency for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.