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Another update from Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland, the Kumamoto JET advisors
========
① Translation of a Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun article which provides a good overview of the COVID-19 situation as of yesterday (6 August) evening:
Kumamoto Prefecture and City announced 10 new cases of COVID-19 on 6 August in both men and women ranging from their 20s to their 70s.
One of the people who were announced to have been infected on 5 August was a 70 year old resident of Yatsushiro City who works part time at a prefectural high school in Yatsushiro. This is the first time a member of the teaching staff at a prefectural high school has been confirmed. The total number of cases is now 331 (110 in Kumamoto City).
According to the prefecture, the male part-time staff member led club activities outside the school between 27 July and 3 August. The prefecture said it will not conduct PCR tests on the students who participated in the club activities he instructed. On 6 August, the high school sent all students home and ordered them to stay home. The school will remain closed for the time being.
Of the cases announced by the prefecture, one was a co-worker and close contact of the Hitoyoshi man in his 50s who passed away in his home.
"New Amakusa Hospital", which partially closed due to a staff member contracting COVID-19, re-opened to new patients yesterday after all 190 contacts tested negative.
5 new cases were confirmed in Kumamoto City. Of those, two were members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces in Kita-ku. They had been involved in assisting with the disaster response in Ashikita in July, but report having no contact with any of the locals. This brings the total number of cases confirmed among staff members of the Ground Self-Defense Force base to 4.
Another case announced by Kumamoto City was a Chuo-ku woman in her 30s who works as a nurse at Kumamoto Takumadai Rehabilitation Hospital.
As of 10am on 6 August, the number of hospitalized patients is 156, meaning 39.0% of hospital beds are occupied in the prefecture as a whole. In places where clusters have occurred, that percentage is higher -- 90.0% in the area of the Yamaga Heath Centre and 48.9% in the area of the Ariake Health Centre. There is 1 critically ill patient, 25 moderately severe, 100 with mild symptoms and 30 asymptomatic patients. (Ryosuke Takamune, Naoyuki Kubota; https://this.kiji.is/664064668785755233?c=92619697908483575)
② List of cases announced on 6 August
Case 332 (August 6) - Male in his 30s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 331 (August 6) - Female in her 40s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 330 (August 6) - Female in her 70s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 329 (August 6) - Male in his 30s, Kumamoto City - Works for the SDF, Close contact with the 276th case
Case 328 (August 6) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Works for the SDF, Close contact with the 276th case
Case 327 (6 August) - Tamana City - Woman in her 70s, investigation ongoing
Case 326 (6 August) - Hitoyoshi City - Man in his 50s, co-worker of Case 290
Case 324-325 (5 August) - Yatsushiro City man and woman in their 20s, came down with fever, noticed impairment in their sense of smell and taste on 3 August. Route of infection unknown.
Case 323 (5 August) - Kikuyo Town - Woman in her 20s, co-worker of Case 250.
(https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=87&flid=245886)
新型コロナ、熊本県内で新たに１０人　自衛隊員２人など ｜ 熊本日日新聞
熊本県と熊本市は６日、２０～７０代の男女１０人が新型コロナウイルスに感染したと発表した。５日に感染確...

Another update from the JET Prefectural Advisors, Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland
=======
Here is a update regarding the cases announced yesterday:
A total of 42 new cases were announced in Kumamoto City and Kumamoto Prefecture on 5 August. This is the highest number of cases confirmed in one day so far. https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN857JTLN85TLVB012.html
So far today, 5 new cases have been announced.
This brings the total number of cases, as [ed.]_2pm this afternoon,_[ed.] to 327.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200806/k10012554031000.html?utm_int=news-social_contents_list-items_010
On 5 August, one junior high school student in Tamana was confirmed to be infected. She had already preemptively been withdrawn from school before testing positive. Twelve additional cases were announced in Nagasu Town.
A man who was in his 50s living in Hitoyoshi was found dead in his home on 4 August. He had previously visited family in another prefecture. Tests later revealed that he had been infected with COVID-19. This brings the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Kumamoto to 5. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200805/k10012552161000.html
Here is the list of cases that were announced yesterday. The date in brackets is the date when the infection was confirmed (rather than announced):
Case 322 (August 5) - Male in his 40s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 321 (August 5) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 320 (August 5) - Male in his 50s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 319 (August 5) - Female in her 30s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 318 (August 5) - Male in his 30s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 317 (August 5) - Male in his 40s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 316 (August 5) - Female in her 30s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 315 (August 5) - Male in his 40s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 314 (August 5) - Female in her 80s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 313 (August 5) - Female under 10, Kumamoto City - Close contact with the 270th and 312th cases
Case 312 (August 5) - Male under 10, Kumamoto City - Close contact with the 246th case
Cases 299-311 (August 5) - Nagasu cluster (JMU)
Case 298 (August 5) - Female in her 60s, Nagasu - Company employee, related to the 123rd case
Case 297 (August 5) - Female in her 30s, Nagasu - Company employee, related to the 123rd case
Case 296 (August 5) - Female in her 30s, Arao - Employee at a medical facility, related to the 78th case
Case 295 (August 5) - Male in his 20s, Tamana - Acquaintances with people involved in the Nagasu cluster
Case 294 (August 5) - Female in her 80s, Tamana - Grandmother of the 246th case
Case 293 (August 5) - Male in his 60s, Tamana - Company employee, related to the 246th case
Case 292 (August 5) - Male in his 30s, Tamana - Self-employed, works with the 246th case
Case 291 (August 5) - Female in her 40s, Tamana - Company employee, works with the 246th case
Case 290 (August 5) - Male in his 50s, Hitoyoshi - Visited family in another prefecture from July 23-26. Began to feel ill on August 3 and left work early. Was found dead in his home on August 4.
Case 289 (August 5) - Male in his 70s, Yatsushiro - Related to the 254th case
Case 288 (August 5) - Male in his 80s, Yamaga - Yamaga care center cluster
Case 287 (August 4) - Female in her 50s, Uki - Related to the 250th case
Case 286 (August 4) - Male in his 40s, Uki - Company employee, related to the 250th case
Case 285 (August 4) - Male in his 30s, Tamana - Company employee, related to the 246th case
Case 284 (August 4) - Female junior high school student, Tamana - Related to the 234th and 269th cases, has not had contact with anyone from school
Case 283 (August 4) - Female in her 40s, Kikuchi - Yamaga care center cluster
Case 282 (August 4) - Male in his 20s, Uto - Employee at a medical facility
Case 281 (August 4) - Female in her 20s, Uto - Related to the 282nd case
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=86&flid=245796
http://www.kuma-koku.jp/support-center/page156.html
　熊本市は5日、同市北区の40代男性ら6人が新型コロナウイルスに感染したと発表した。この日、熊本県と熊本市が新たに発表した感染者は計42人になり、1日の感染確認としては8月4日の37人を超えて最多とな…

Hi friends.
It's my friend, Seán Michael Wilson's article about Kumamoto city.
It's good opportunity to know local place deeply!
Trip Minimum but Enjoy Maximum! ーAtsuko(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
15 Things to do in Kumamoto City
Here we present 15 things to do in Kumamoto City.

Good morning from AsoーAtsuko(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡
https://www.facebook.com/1697872573768866/posts/2796695343886578/

Another update from Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland
the Kumamoto JET Program Prefectural Advisors
=====
Yesterday, Kumamoto City and Kumamoto Prefecture raised the infection Risk Level to Level 4. This is the highest level on their 5-stage scale, and the first time a Level 4 warning has been issued since the pandemic began.
The Prefectural government is asking for all residents to co-operate with the following requests:
Please do not travel unnecessarily across prefectural lines.
Please do not go to any places in which the "three Cs" are present or travel to any places in which infections are spreading.
Please be thorough in implementing all measures to prevent the spread of infection in the workplace, such as regularly checking your temperature, wearing masks, regular hand washing, and following the "new lifestyle" recommendations, such as avoiding the "3 Cs".
Please do not go to any eating or drinking establishments which are not implementing measures to prevent the spread of infection.
Please discourage any family or friends who reside in other parks of Japan from returning to Kumamoto for Obon next week.
To anyone who is elderly, has underlying conditions, or those who live together with either of the above, be particularly thorough in the steps you take to prevent infection when leaving the home.
Here are some additional updates:
Summary of Governor's remarks
Governor Kabashima noted in his address yesterday that 70% of new cases between 20 July and 3 August are connected to either the Nagasu or Yamaga clusters. 50% of the remaining cases involve people who had contact with infected individuals outside of Kumamoto Prefecture.
Prefectural and City officials are planning to visit all establishments such as host clubs/cabarets etc, which involve close interaction between patrons and staff, in order to ensure they are following infection prevention measures. They plan to visit all such establishments in Kumamoto City and will ask businesses that are not implementing such measures to close.
The governor also asked the public not to harass, insult, harm, or slander people who happen to become infected, their family members, or their colleagues.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/kiji_35191.html
Fourth death in the prefecture of a COVID-19 patient
Yesterday (3 August), a man in his 70s who lived in Yamaga City and who had tested positive for COVID-19 passed away. The cause of death was heart failure. He became the fourth person to die after being confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 in the prefecture.
37 new cases of COVID-19 between 3-4 August
Yesterday, 31 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Kumamoto Prefecture. (https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200804/k10012550141000.html?utm_int=news-social_contents_list-items_012)
In addition, 6 people were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 on Monday.
The total number of cases announced to date in Kumamoto Prefecture is 280.
Two infections were confirmed among daycare workers in Yatsushiro. 17 new cases were announced in direct connection to JMU, 1 of whom resides in Arao City, the remaining 16 living in Nagasu Town.
- Cases 274-280 (4 August) - Kumamoto City
- Cases 271-273 (4 August) - Male employees of JMU, all residents of Nagasu Town
- Case 270 (4 August) - Kumamoto City
- Case 269 (4 August) - Tamana City medical worker in her 40s, spouse of Case 234
- Cases 256-268 (4 August) - Male employees of JMU, all residents of Nagasu Town
- Cases 254-255 (4 August) - Yatsushiro City females in their 40s, daycare staff members, close contacts of Case 232
- Case 253 (4 August) - Tamana City female in her 50s, close contact of case 246.
- Cases 251-252 (4 August) - Uki City males in their 20s, close contacts of Case 229.
- Case 250 (4 August) - Uki City male in his 20s, investigation ongoing
- Case 249 (4 August) - Male in his 70s living in Yamaga City, close contact of Case 181
- Cases 247-248 (4 August) - Residents of Yamaga City nursing home
- Case 246 (4 August) - 30 year old female in Tamana City, investigation ongoing
- Case 245 (August 3) - JMU Cluster, resides in Arao Town
- Case 244 (August 3) - Male medical worker in his 20s in Kikuyo Town, investigation into route of infection ongoing.
- Case 243 (August 3) - Male in his 30s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
- Case 242 (August 3) - Female in her 20s, Kumamoto City Investigation into infection route ongoing
- Case 241 (August 3) - Male in his 50s, Uto City - Employee at a medical institution, Visted NEO Barbie
- Cases 238-240 (August 3) - Yamaga City nursing home cluster
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=82&flid=245603
Minister says second state of emergency "possible" if the spread of infection increases rapidly
At a press conference which took place after a cabinet meeting earlier today, Katsunobu Kato who is the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare said that a declaration of another state of emergency is "possible" if the speed of the spread of infection were to increase rapidly.
Various local governments, such as Okinawa, Gifu and Mie prefectures have announced their own independent states of emergency, and the number of local governments requesting citizens to refrain from unnecessary and non-urgent outings or requesting business to reduce their operating hours is increasing.
In his comment, Minister Kato said that he recognises that various measures are being taken at the local level, but that "if the rate of the increase of infections increases rapidly, the possibility exists that a state of emergency could be called again." Minister Kato went on to say that "When making a declaration, the government as a whole will make a comprehensive judgement after listening to the opinions of experts while looking at various indicators, as well as provide support such as improving access to testing."
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200804/k10012549981000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_004
【8月4日】第15回熊本県新型コロナウイルス感染症対策本部会議における知事訓示 / 熊本県
【8月4日】第15回熊本県新型コロナウイルス感染症対策本部会議における知事訓示 最終更新日：2020年8月4日  【8月4日】感染症対策本部会議（第15回）知事訓示   知事訓示全文まず、昨日、県内の感染症指定医療機関に入院...

Hi friends.
Let's support Kuma Shocyu by drinking, by buying, by donation!! ーAtsuko(｡•̀ᴗ-)و ̑̑✧
球磨焼酎500年。どんな時代でも、ここで繋いできた。

This has nothing to do with Kumamoto but is an inspiring story for these trying times about a truly remarkable young woman. - William
Sky Brown: 'Sometimes you fall but I wanted to show me getting up again'
Great Britain’s 12-year-old world skateboarding bronze medallist is recuperating after a horrific accident but, she tells Donald McRae, already thinking of next year’s Olympic Games

Another update from Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland, the JET Program Prefectural Advisors.
=====
Here are your updates regarding COVID-19:
●57 new cases over the weekend
Since our previous e-mail, 57 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Kumamoto. This includes cases confirmed on 31 July as well as over the weekend. The total number now exceeds 200 and there have been over 100 new cases in under a 1-week period.
Cases announced include another elementary school student in Yatsushiro (Case 232), as well as an elementary school student in Tamana (Case 223) and Yamaga (Case 236), both with connections to the JMU cluster. (https://this.kiji.is/662541011361104993?c=92619697908483575)
This brings the total number of elementary school students confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 to 5. (https://this.kiji.is/662639324546991201?c=92619697908483575)
On 1 July, a bus driver in his 20s who works for Kumamoto Toshi Bus and lives in Higashi-ku Kumamoto City was confirmed to be infected. He began showing symptoms on the evening of July 27. Earlier that day, he operated the route between Sakuramachi Bus Terminal and Nagamine ES five times, and a total of 204 passengers were on board. Two days previously, he ran bus routes between Sakuramach Bus Terminal and Akitsu Shonan Kinenkan Mae, as well as Between Nagamine Danchi and Wakaba Elementary School. The total number of passengers on those routes is 51. The driver was wearing a mask and the windows were open to circulate air through the bus.
https://this.kiji.is/662460164742841441?c=92619697908483575
●New cluster in Kumamoto City
On Saturday, Kumamoto City announced that a cluster of cases had been discovered in connection with the girl's bar "Neo Barbie". As of 4pm on the day of the announcement (1st August), 3 female staff members tested positive. Two male customers are also known to have COVID-19, one of whom is a Kikuchi City who previously tested positive. The City is asking anyone who visited the bar to contact the Coronavirus Consultation Centre. (https://this.kiji.is/662195590994216033?c=92619697908483575, https://this.kiji.is/662296152851989601?c=92619697908483575)
The total number of cases associated with the previous two existing clusters are: JMU→94; Yamaga nursing home "Taiyo"→40 (as of 2 August).

●Kumamoto has the seventh highest infection rate nationwide
Kumamoto is the 7th highest prefecture in the country in terms of number of cases per 100,000 people (8.98 cases). The highest are Okinawa, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka, Aichi and Miyazaki, followed by Kumamoto.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200802/k10012546981000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-access_001
●Re-entry to be permitted for foreigners who left Japan before entry ban
As of 5 August 2020, foreigners who hold permission to re-enter Japan (i.e., those who hold a valid status of residence in Japan) who left the country and spent time in countries or regions which the Japanese Government later designated as regions subject to entry bans, may be allowed to re-enter Japan.
However, this only applies to foreigners who left the country and visited those countries BEFORE the day that those countries were designated as countries subject to entry bans, and as a result does not mean that foreigners can expect to be able to leave the country now and be permitted to return (unless they are permanent residents, or spouses of permanent residents/Japanese nationals and have extenuating humanitarian circumstances).
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001074.html
●List of new cases:
Case 237 (August 2) - Male in his 50s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing　
Cases 233, 235, 236 (August 2) - Related to the Nagasu cluster
Case 232 (August 2) - Female under 10, Yatsushiro City - Close contact with cases 115, 164, 180
Cases 230, 231 (August 2) - Nagasu cluster
Case 229 (August 2) - Male in his 20s, Uki City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 228 (August 2) - Female in her 60s, Koshi City - Close contact with case 192
Case 227 (August 2) - Female in her 60s, Ozu - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Cases 225, 226 (August 2) - Yamaga City nursing home cluster
Case 224 (August 2) - Male in his 70s, Yamaga City - Close contact with case 181
Cases 218-223 (August 2) - Nagasu cluster
Case 217 (August 1) - Female in her 80s, Kumamoto City - Close contact with case 188
Case 216 (August 1) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Employee at a restaurant, close contact with the 100th case
Case 215 (August 1) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Company employee, dined out in the city on July 25)
Cases 2014-214 (August 1) - Nagasu cluster
Case 203 (August 1) - Male in his 30s, Tamana city - Company employee, investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 202 (August 1) - Female in her 50s, Kumamoto City - Company employee, investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 201 (August 1) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Bus driver, unknown infection route
Case 200 (August 1) - Nagasu cluster
Cases 195-199 (August 1) - Yamaga City nursing home cluster
Case 194 (August 1) - Male in his 60s, Kikuchi City - Related to the 111th case and the nursing home cluster
Case 193 (August 1) - Female in her 40s, Arao - Close contact with medical staff and a confirmed case in Fukuoka
Case 192 (August 1) - Male in his 40s, Koshi City - Related to the 85th and 125th cases
Case 191 (July 31) - Male in his 30s, Kumamoto City - Dined out at a restaurant
Case 190 (July 31) - Female in her 20s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 189 (July 31) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Travelled to Fukuoka from July 23-26
Case 188 (July 31) - Male in his 80s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Cases 182-187 (July 31) - Nagasu cluster
Case 181 (July 31) - Male in his 70s, Yamaga City - Close contact with the 112th case
Case 180 (July 31) - Male in his teens, Yatsushiro City - Elementary school student, close contact with the 115th and 164th cases
Case 179 (July 31) - Female in her 30s, Arao City - Spouse of the 149th case
Case 178 (July 31) - Female in her 30s, Arao City - Child of the 128th case
Case 177 (July 31) - Nagasu cluster
Case 176 (July 31) - Female in her 20s, Kumamoto City - Travelled to Tokyo July 24-26
Case 175 (July 31) - Male in his 20s, Koshi City - Came to Kumamoto on a business trip from Hyogo prefecture on July 21
Case 174 (July 31) - Male in his 60s, Tamana City - Family member of the 87th case
Case 173 (July 31) - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Investigation into infection route ongoing
Case 172 (July 31) - Female in her 60s, Kumamoto City - Close contact with 157th case
Case 171 (July 31) - Female in her 20s, Kumamoto City - Close contact with 125th case
Case 170 (July 31) - Female in her 60s, Kumamoto City
リニューアル後、一定期間、検索結果に表示されないページが発生します。 下記のトップページ、サイトマップから情報をお探しくださいますよう、お願いいたします。トップページに戻るサイトマップに戻る

Hi friends!
How is Kumamoto humid Summer??
This post suggests Shochu lovers to support Shochu maker in Kuma.
@山下紀幸 Nori is a Shotyu bar owner at downtown who wants to introduce and spread Shochu all over the world.
He writes his suggest in English below.
Tough tines bring opportunity.
It's good chance you to know and help Kuma Shochu wellーAtsuko(*Ü*)

Currently Kyushu JR has a pretty amazing deal going on. All-you-can-ride rail pass for Kyushu rails for 2 days for 10,000 yen. Really?? Really!
If traveling, travel safe.
みんなの九州きっぷ | JR九州全線、2日間乗り放題！
九州新幹線・在来線特急が2日間乗り放題！「みんなの九州きっぷ」発売中！

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
熊本 7人の感染確認 県内延べ180人に 新型コロナウイルス | NHKニュース
【NHK】熊本県によりますと、県内で男女7人が新型コロナウイルスに感染したことが新たに確認されました。このうち、児童と教諭合わせて…

Another update of the most recent cases from Bilal Khan & Lily McDermott, JET Prefectural Advisors
======
●Elementary school student in Yatsushiro confirmed to be infected: An elementary school student who attended the Yatsushiro school at which a teacher was infected tested positive for COVID-19. The boy, who is under 10 years old, briefly had fever on the 24 July (Friday), but the fever went away over the weekend. He went to school on Monday. He is currently asymptomatic. The school was planning to re-open tomorrow, but will likely remain closed until 7 August.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=69&flid=245014
https://kumanichi.com/news/1543479/
●Two additional cases confirmed at a care home in Yamaga, bringing the total to 31 cases in that cluster. Both are residents of the facility in their 90s. Six more cases were also confirmed to be infected in the area of the Ariake Health Centre, four of which are directly conneccted to the JMU cluster--one who lives in Arao City, one lives in Tamana, one in Nagasu Town and the other in Fukuoka Prefecture.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=67&flid=244946
●A woman in her 40s who was confirmed to be infected yesterday is reportedly a health care worker at Arao Shimin Byoin. She is the wife of a worker at JMU in Nagasu Town, who was also infected.
https://kumanichi.com/news/1543228/
●After two consecutive infections were confirmed in employees there, Kikuchi CIty Hall re-opened at 1pm this afternoon. All 18 people determined to be close contacts tested negative.
https://kumanichi.com/news/1543229/
● 367 new cases confirmed in Tokyo today, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200730/k10012540461000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_004
Governor Koike described the situation as ”extremely dangerous" and has requested restaurants/izakayas/bars and karaoke parlours located in the city to reduce their operating hours starting next month from August 3 to 31st, to close at 10pm, with a subsidy provided for cooperating businesses.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200730/k10012541381000.html?utm_int=news-social_contents_list-items_002
● Yesterday, the first two cases since the beginning of the pandemic were confirmed in Iwate Prefecture. The infected individuals live in Morioka City but went to a campground in the Kanto area where they slept in a tent with a friend who was later confirmed to be infected with COVID-19.
Coronavirus has now been confirmed in all 47 prefectures of Japan. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200729/k10012539681000.html?utm_int=nsearch_contents_search-items_002
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200730/k10012541011000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_005
●1251 new cases were confirmed in one day across the country yesterday, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. It was also the first time the number of cases exceeded 1000 in one day. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/60e165c6213e9b27c3e600207f8d2293653568f7
This brings the total number of cases confirmed so far today to 9; the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic in Kumamoto is 164.

Another update from JET Prefectural Advisors Bilal Khan & Lily McDermott. Unfortunately, not really good news. Please stay safe.
=====
This afternoon, a senior high school student who attends a school in central Kumamoto was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. The student has no symptoms. This is the first time a student has been confirmed to be infected in Kumamoto Prefecture. He is asymptomatic and is currently at home. After the result was confirmed, all students at the school were sent home and instructed to stay at home.
https://kumanichi.com/news/1542257/
This brings the current number of cases in Kumamoto at the time of this email to 152, although this may continue to increase before the end of the day as more test results are released.
Please find some additional updates below. First are some brief summaries of news articles, followed by a list of cases announced yesterday and today.
Japan Marine United releases statement concerning cluster
Japan Marine United, the shipyard associated with the recent cluster this week in Nagasu Town, has revealed that a separate case which occured in the Ariake Area back in April was also someone who worked at JMU. Despite that previous case, a large number of employees did not wear masks in the workplace. JMU has apologised for causing the local community to worry, and they will be obeying advice from the local health center to improve the infection prevention precautions taken in the workplace.
https://this.kiji.is/660663322878313569?c=92619697908483575
Recent cases have higher proportion of under-40s than previous wave
The cases in the current wave of infections are characterised by a higher proportion of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s being infected as compared to infections in March~May.
https://kumanichi.com/news/1541228/
All-time high of new cases in Aichi, Osaka and Okinawa; first case in Miyakojima, high numbers of cases continue in Tokyo
Today the first coronavirus case in Miyakojima was confirmed. As of 4pm today, Okinawa has the highest number of cases reported since the pandemic began (44), more than double the number of cases reported yesterday.
https://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/608293
https://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/608253
Today Osaka Prefecture has reported 220 cases. The first time more than 200 cases were reported in Osaka in one day.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200729/k10012539201000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_001
Aichi Prefecture also reported its highest number of cases so far, at 159 new cases. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200729/k10012538931000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_003
Tokyo reported 250 new cases. Although not the highest, the number of cases has been higher than 100 per day for 21 days in a row. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200729/k10012538361000.html?utm_int=news-social_contents_list-items_025
Additional cases in Kumamoto 28-29 July:
(28 July)
Cases 120-124 - Five additional cases, all males employed at Japan Marine United in Nagasu Town.
Case 125 - Female in her teens, Kumamoto City - Part-time employee at the restaurant visited by case 85
Case 126 - Male in his 20s, Kumamoto City - Close contact of case 61
Cases 127-130, 135 - Nagasu Shipyard cluster (Case 135 is the mother of a JMU employee. She is a public employee at Hello Work in Tamana.)
Case 131 - Female in her 20s, Kumamoto City - Currently investigating infection route
Case 132 - Male in his 40s, Kumamoto City - Currently investigating infection route
Case 133 - Male in his 50s, Kumamoto City - Currently investigating infection route
Case 134 - Male in his 30s, Kumamoto City - Currently investigating infection route
Case 136 - Male in his 50s, Kikuchi City government employee - Close contact of case 85
(29 July)
Cases 137-139 - Three additional cases in association with the "Taiyo" Nursing Home in Yamaga City. This brings the total number of cases at the Yamaga City "Taiyo" Nursing Home to 29 people.
Two additional cases were confirmed in Kumamoto City. In addition, 10 new cases associated with JMU in Nagasu were announced. This brings the number of cases associated with JMU in Nagasu to 49 people (38 living in Kumamoto Prefecture outside Kumamoto City mostly the Tamana-Arao-Nagasu Area, 3 in Kumamoto City, 7 in Fukuoka and 1 in Tokyo).
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=65&flid=244896
Disaster recovery news:
President of JR Kyushu announced that recovery of the JR Hisatsu Line between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu, Kagoshima, passing through the affected areas, will take over 1 year to be restored. Two of the bridges over the Kuma River which were swept away were constructed in the Meiji Era. In the rain disaster affecting a different JR Line in Oita, train services were not restored, and instead the line was replaced with Bus Rapid Transit. JR is planning to consult with the local community to decide the direction of how restoration will take place going forward.
https://kumanichi.com/news/1541219/
＜速報＞熊本県の男子高校生の感染確認　児童生徒は県内初　 | 熊本のニュース | ニュース | 熊本日日新聞社
　熊本県は２９日、県央学区に在籍する男子高校生の新型コロナウイルス感染を確認したと発表した。同県内で児童生徒の感染確認は初めて。高校生に症状はなく、自宅待機中。在籍する高校は、全生徒を速やかに下校させ...

Joe Tomei here. This is an English translation of the Japanese information located at
https://note.stopcovid19.jp/n/n72b2cb865af8
Achieving compatibility of infection control measures and socio-economic activities
We are doing this in order to pass on the information that is coming out in Japanese. While the translations are done to the best of our ability, please be aware that we take no responsibility for any issues that may arise based on actions taken on account of these translations. We are doing this in English, but would welcome help not only for that, but also for translations in other languages. Contact me off list if you can help.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zHOCBvjLW2d-exble5T20Qg2PEW5s0giS3uHlA9UwRg/edit?usp=sharing
Translated copy of 感染防止対策と社会経済活動を両立させるために
Achieving compatibility of infection control measures and socio-economic activities 314 Corona Specialist Volunteer Group 2020/07/19 19:01 According to the Basic Policy by Japanese government (Updated on May 25th) and the administrative contact for prefectures (indicated on May 25th), the "tran...

Joe Tomei with another timely (and gratefully received!) update from Bilal Khan & Lily McDermott, the JET Prefectural advisors. If you appreciate these updates, please drop a comment thanking them for sharing with the list.
=====
Since our last e-mail update, there have been 68 additional cases in Kumamoto Prefecture. This more than doubles the number of cases in Kumamoto since the beginning of the pandemic.
You may already have heard that a large proportion of the cases originate in the jurisdiction of the Ariake Health Center (Arao-Tamana Area) due to a cluster at a shipbuilding company located in Nagasu Town. Another cluster has emerged in Yamaga City at an elderly care facility. In addition, an elementary school teacher in Yatsushiro was confirmed to be infected and the school where he teaches has been temporarily closed.
Here is the most important bit of information to take home from this e-mail:
Coronavirus Risk Level raised to Level 3 for both Kumamoto Prefecture and Kumamoto City; Governor Kabashima issues request to all residents to avoid travel outside the prefecture
Today the prefecture has decided to raise the Risk Level to Level 3.
As a result, people in the prefecture are being requested to comply with the following measures:
1. Avoid all unneccessary and non-urgent travel outside of the prefecture. In particular, avoid locations in which the 3 Cs are present and particularly avoid travelling to areas here infections are spreading.
→The request is based on powers given to the governor contained in the Act on Special Measures for Pandemic Influenza and New Infectious Diseases Preparedness and Response. Many of the recent cases have arisen in connection to Fukuoka and Tokyo, so the decision was made to request the people of Kumamoto to avoid travelling outside of the prefecture.
2. Continue practicing appropriate hygene, including avoiding the 3s, wearing masks, keeping a distance between yourself and others.

3. To those hosting events, please ensure all appropriate measures are taken to avoid the spread of infection.
4. To restaurants, please make sure you are operating using the relevant industry guidelines and implement the measures outlined in the prefectural checklist.
5. To residents of the prefecture, avoid dining at any establishments which are not implementing measures to prevent the spread of infection.
https://this.kiji.is/660470958605517921?c=92619697908483575
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/kiji_32638.html
Since it's been a crazy few days that have led up to this and there is a lot of information to process, here is a timeline to help everyone digest how we got here:
Wednesday, 22 July
Case 54 - A male health care worker in his 20s in the Amakusa Area tested positive for coronavirus using the LAMP method. The health care worker was employed at New Amakusa Hospital in Amakusa City (ニュー天草病院). Fortunately after tests of all 56 close contacts at the hospital, all were negative.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=44&flid=244281
Thursday, 23 July
Case 55 - A public official working for Arao City in her 20s tested positive for COVID-19. She had visited a department store in central Fukuoka City, as well as gone shopping in Arao, and she reportedly used a mask at all times. She also worked at a facility helping residents affected by floods to dispose of disaster-related refuse. The same day she came down with fever. She tested positive four days later.
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/common/UploadFileOutput.ashx?c_id=3&id=32300&sub_id=46&flid=244305
The same day, 2 new cases were announced in Kumamoto City.
Friday, 24 July
Case 58 - A male in his 40s in the jurisdiction of the Ariake Health Centre tested positive. He was in close contact with a confirmed case in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Case 59 - An additional case was confirmed in Kumamoto City.
Case 60 - A male company employee in his twenties in the area of the Ariake Health Centre was confirmed to be infected. The company was later revealed to be Japan Marine United (JMU) is a development-oriented shipbuilder located in Nagasu Town.
Saturday, 25 July
Three cases were confirmed in Kumamoto City.
Sunday, 26 July
Case 62 - A male care worker at the elderly care facility in Yamaga City "Taiyou" was confirmed to be infected with coronavirus. A large cluster would later be confirmed at this facility.
Cases 64-70 - Seven close contacts (coworkers of Case 60 at JMU in Nagasu Town) were found to infected.
Two additional cases were confirmed in Kumamoto City.
Monday, 27 July
Case 82 - A close contact of Case 61 (Yamaga City) was confirmed to be infected.
Cases 71, 74-81 - 9 additional people were found to be infected, all people from the workplace of Case 60, all located in the Tamana-Arao Area.
Case 82 - A close contact of the care worker in Yamaga City was confirmed to be infected.
Cases 83-84 - Two additional cases confirmed in connection to Case 60 above.
Case 85 - An employee of the Kikuchi City Hall was confirmed to be infected. The route of infection is unknown. The City Hall has been temporarily closed. https://kumanichi.com/news/1540930/
Case 86 - An additional cases in Kumamoto City
Case 87 - Another co-worker of Case 60 (JMU Cluster)
Case 88-95 - After testing 22 employees of the elderly care facility "Taiyo" located in Yamaga City where Case 62 is employed, 8 tested positive for COVID-19. One of the 8 reside inKumamoto City.
Cases 96-100 - 5 additional cases were confirmed within Kumamoto City
Cases 101-114 - 14 additional cases were confirmed in association with the care facility in Yamaga City.
Tuesday, 28 July (as of the time of this e-mail)
Cases 115-116 - An elementary school teacher in Yatsushiro City in his 50s as well as his mother in her 70s were confirmed to be infected. The teacher's mother, two sisters (who had recently returned from Osaka) and another family member had a meal together with the son (teacher). Two days later, the teacher taught four classes at his school (wearing a mask). The sister later received word that she had received a positive test result from a PCR test conducted back when she was in Osaka. The teacher then consulted a local health centre and tested positive for COVID-19. The school in question has been closed temporarily. This is the first case of a school teacher in Kumamoto to be confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. https://this.kiji.is/660685796654416993
117-119 - Three additional cases were confirmed in relation to the Yamaga City care home "Taiyou".
Some more thoughts...
This recent spate of new infections brings the total number of cases in Kumamoto to this date to 119. The number of active cases is 69. The current total number of hospital beds available for coronavirus patients in Kumamoto currently is 400.
The recent case activity in Kumamoto has been mentioned in both national and even international news outlets. For instance, the governor of Nagano-ken has even advised residents to avoid travel to Kumamoto Prefecture. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1d9dd64cb4c7f479bbb999a1538d1baf6c459bfb
At a press conference yesterday, Governor Kabashima called for the people of Kumamoto to hold the "highest sense of danger yet" (最大の危機感 saidai no kikikan) regarding the current infection situation and continue measures to prevent the spread of infection such as hand washing and mask wearing. Following that press conference, Mayor of Kumamoto City announced his view that the "second wave" has come to Kumamoto. https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/629652/
With respect to the cases at JMU in Nagasu Town, The Governor of Kumamoto formally requested assistance from the national government's "cluster team". Governor Kabashima also expressed his concern that many people at the company in which the cluster emerged did not wear masks in the workplace.
In our closely neighbouring prefecture, Fukuoka, there was a total of 90 new cases (61 in the city) identified on July 26, and a total of 126 cases in all of Kyushu. https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/629688/ In addition to clusters at a nightclub, a number of confirmed cases have been confirmed at a kindergarten in Fukuoka City. In the past week alone, there have been 421 new cases in Fukuoka. For 51% of those cases the route of transmission is unknown. The positive test rate is 6.7%. https://www.pref.fukuoka.lg.jp/contents/covid19-hassei.html
Here is a helpful website where you can see the number of active cases in Kumamoto, including whether the person has been discharged from hospital and whether they are related to a cluster or not: https://kumamoto.stopcovid19.jp/en
As a reminder, information and announcements made by the prefecture are located on the Kumamoto Prefecture's website here: https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/hpkiji/pub/List.aspx?c_id=3&class_set_id=1&class_id=7049
Information can be found in English on the website of the Kumamoto Support Centre for Foreign Residents here: http://www.kuma-koku.jp/support-center/page156.html
蒲島知事、県外移動「自粛を」　コロナ感染リスク「レベル３」に引き上げ ｜ 熊本日日新聞
新型コロナウイルスの新規感染者が熊本県内で急増していることを受け、蒲島郁夫知事は２７日に県庁で記者会...

Hi friends.
There is good Japanese proverb, 備えあれば憂いなし Sonae areba ureinashi. "No need to worry if you are prepared."
KEEP seems to want to get lot foreigners voices.
Please join it!
Be safe, Be healthy, be careful
for being Happy!💕ーAtsuko(๑˃ᴗ˂)و♡

"Eerily silent" is about all one could use to describe Kumamoto now during this four-day vacation. My wife and I had thought about going to Ashikita to help with flood relief, but, ironically, the current heavy rains have put a stop to that. The Guardian has an article on this called "Wave of Silence" - humans create a hell of a racket, and when they stop, scientists from zoologists to geologists have a field day, able to check out the earth as it would be if humans didn't exist. - William
'Wave of silence' spread around world during coronavirus pandemic
Seismologists said high frequency noise fell as much as 50% as planes were grounded and roads emptied

Hi friends.
If we haven't suffered Corona virus, tomorrow is the opening day of Tokyo Olympics.
It has been postponed 1 year!??? I don't know we can hold it, we should hold it.
I drop into Olympic official shop. It's placed 1st floor of コジマKOJIMA,
If you want to get Olympic memorial T shirts and items. They have lots.
I don't know Olympic's future, we can hold next year? postpone few years. It disappears...
There are good Anime goods also.It might be nice for souvenirs.
Yeah, you can see, they are little bit expensive.
Though, if you have these as memorial items of 2020, it might be good.
Honestly speaking, I visited and truly recommend the 2nd floor, clothes shop, ハゼヤマ HAZEYAMA because It has so cheap and many various clothes. I always take my guest to buy souvenirs at HAZEYAMA.In this season, you can buy kids YUKATA less than 2000yen!
The last 2pics are HAZEYAMA. Something like Japanese taste T shirt costs only 300yen.
Be safe, be health, be careful but Enjoy 2020!!! ーAtsuko٩( ᐖ )۶
コジマ×ビックカメラ熊本店
〒861-4109 熊本県熊本市南区日吉１丁目７−７
096-320-2900
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ptD5E7RkSWgNF4z3A

Fiona here, posting after a long absence!
Readers of this page may remember that I was responsible for the one-woman attempt to bring the escape room scene to Kumamoto back in 2018-19. International School of Spies has been on hiatus since Christmas so that I could focus on finishing up my latest book, an English language textbook for teens to adults. Escape the Classroom was published in April this year by Perceptia Press and is distributed by www.englishbooks.jp. For those who enjoyed the challenges and mysteries they encountered in the the escape room, this book contains a few familiar puzzles, and a lot of new ones, with 15 missions such as Enigma, Alibi, Hero and Survive. It also features a lot of problem-solving, communication and discussion activities and I'll be piloting the book at Kumamoto University this autumn. If any other teachers would like to give it a try they can request a free inspection copy from EBJ, or by contacting me via Messenger (Fiona Wall Minami).
Thanks for the support!
https://www.englishbooks.jp/catalog/product_info.php/en/escape-the-classroom-p-50398

Joe Tomei again. Bilal Khan & Lily McDermott also had a section about volunteering in areas struck by the recent flooding. As I'm sure there are people on this list who might be interested, I pass this on, though their advice is directed for JET participants (who are prefectural employees).
========
A note on volunteering in the flood recovery efforts
Due to restrictions on volunteering (volunteers must live in Kumamoto Prefecture), more people are still desperately needed to help in the recovery effort as volunteers in affected areas. For instance, prefectural employees are now being actively asked to go help volunteer on their days off.
The exact procedures on volunteering vary slightly from location to location (Arao, Ashikita, Kuma Area etc.) but in general, volunteers gather at a local Volunteer Centre where they sign in early in the morning (from 9am), sit through a brief Orientation (if it is your first time), and then go into a room in which they are matched with requests (you first listen to explanations of the request in Japanese, and then raise your hand if you are interested in going to that particular site).

In Hitoyoshi, most requests for volunteers are taking over two weeks to be met and work has been completed in less than 10% of cases in which a homeowner requested volunteer help. The Hitoyoshi Volunteer Centre is also dispatching volunteers to Kuma Village, where the floods were particularly deadly.
Some Japanese ability is required when volunteering (Japanese is used when buying the volunteer insurance upon entry, then filling out various paperwork, listening to the volunteer orientation, listening to case requests and then later negotiating with your volunteer team about how to get to the requested site and how to divide up the work). It is advisable to team up with someone with Japanese ability if you are interested in volunteering. Most cases require scooping out dirt out from under affected homes, so bringing your own rain boots is a must. Other supplies such as shovels are provided by the volunteer center. You are also expected to bring your own lunch to the site you are volunteering at (an onigiri or sandwich is fine).
Buses departing 7am each morning to local volunteer centres in Hitoyoshi and Sagara Village are available. Seats must be booked in advance. Information on bus services is available here in Japanese: https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/kiji_34462.html (Already fully booked for this weekend.)
If you decide to drive to a volunteer centre and use toll roads on your way directly to the volunteer centre, the toll is waived if you submit the correct paperwork to the toll booth operators. You must print out the papers before going to volunteer. The fee is waived for volunteers going to anywhere in the prefecture (Arao, Ashikita or Kuma area). You can find information about the procedure and the paperwork here on the NEXCO hompage: https://corp.w-nexco.co.jp/newly/r1/0830/
Information about volunteering in Ashikita Town in particular is available on the Facebook Page of the Ashikita International Association here:
https://www.facebook.com/AshikitaInternational/posts/2001379829994845
=====
(note: if you do volunteer and would like to share your experiences to the list, please feel free to send them to me as a message and I will post them.)
令和2年7月豪雨災害ボランティアバスの運行をスタートします / 熊本県
令和2年7月豪雨災害ボランティアバスの運行をスタートします 最終更新日：2020年7月15日 　令和2年7月豪雨の被災地の復旧に当たっては、今後も多くのボランティアの方々の力が必要です。そこで、熊本県では、熊本県内の.....