Another update from Bilal Khan & Lily McDermott, JET Prefectural Advisors

●At least 7 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Kumamoto today, bringing the total of cases to 180, though more positive test results may be reported before the end of the day.

One of the cases is another student at the elementary school in Yatsushiro where a teacher and student were previously confirmed to be infected. One other employee of JMU in Nagasu Town was confirmed to be infected, as well as 5 other people throughout the prefecture. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200731/k10012543731000.html?utm_int=news-new_contents_list-items_014

One of those confirmed to be infected today is an employee at the Kumamoto Kita Post Office (located in Kikuyo Town near Hikari no Mori). The post office as well as the associated ATM have been closed to the public for the time being. https://kumanichi.com/news/1544470/

Not included in today’s numbers, an Australian national in his 20s living in Kita-ku was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 yesterday evening. He worked part time in the agricultural sector. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4902ae59d58ae6044d1d85c2b52e5678eb4c0b90

●Kumamoto Prefecture has announced that from now on, it will release information on new cases stating the municipality in which the infected individual lives. Until now, the prefecture has only released the name of the Local Health Centre which serves a broader area. https://this.kiji.is/661570046401152097?c=92619697908483575

●463 new cases were confirmed in Tokyo today. This is the first time there have been more than 400 cases in one day. This is almost 100 more cases than yesterday, when 367 new cases were confirmed. This marks two days in a row of record-high numbers of cases. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200731/k10012543021000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_001

Aichi also recorded a two-day straight record high of 192 cases. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200731/k10012543741000.html?utm_int=news-social_contents_list-items_001

Okinawa reported 71 cases, creating a 5-day record high streak. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200731/k10012543841000.html?utm_int=news-new_contents_list-items_004

Fukuoka also reached another record high yesterday at 121 cases, 75 of which were in Fukuoka City.https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200730/k10012541801000.html?utm_int=news-social_contents_list-items_093

●The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has announced that it will permit the re-sale of masks and alcohol disinfectant liquid as early as next month, due to the supply of masks and disinfectant having recovered. The government had previously banned the re-selling of masks and alcohol disinfectant online due to the extreme shortage experienced earlier this year.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200731/k10012543231000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_003

●Over the past three weeks, the number of critically-ill coronavirus patients in Japan has tripled, reaching a total of 90 critically ill patients as of 30 July. The number dropped to its lowest earlier this month (10 July) at just 32 patients nationwide, the lowest since a state of emergency was announced. However, the number of serious cases is again on the rise. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200731/k10012543181000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_002