With the current surge in Covid-19 infections across Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is now providing free rapid antigen self-test kits to those with Covid-19 symptoms. This new initiative is exclusive to Tokyoites in their 20s or 30s, born between August 10 1982 and August 9 2002.
How to apply for your free self-test kit in Tokyo
You can apply for your free self-test kit here. Make your application in the morning and you’ll receive your antigen test kit the next day. About 70,000 test kits are available per day.
What to do if you tested positive for Covid-19
In the event that you tested positive, you’ll have to register your result online here. Submit a photo of your ID that states your name and birth date as well as a photo of your positive antigen test result.
Based on your information, a doctor at the new Registration Centre for Positive Cases will analyse your data and report the result to the public health centre. The new registration centre will be able to process around 3,000 positive cases per day.
You’ll be notified via email on the next day, and receive information on the Uchi-Sapo Tokyo support centre, which provides medical consultation, health monitoring and online examinations based on your symptoms. You can reach the support centre 24/7 via phone (0120 670 440). Support is available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Portuguese, Spanish, Burmese, French, Thai and Tagalog.
For more information on the self-testing process, see here (in Japanese only). Note that you can’t apply for the antigen self-test kit if you have an underlying disease or a BMI above 30, or if you’re pregnant.
Currently, the antigen self-test kits are only provided to those in their 20s or 30s, as these age groups tend to develop only mild symptoms. However, the Tokyo Government plans to gradually expand the service for other age groups as well.
If you have been in contact with an infected person and are starting to notice symptoms, you can apply for a free antigen test kit here to test yourself before visiting a medical institution. This service is open to all Tokyo residents regardless of age.
In case you have no Covid-19 symptoms, but still want to take a free PCR test as a peace-of-mind precaution, see here.
This article was originally published on August 3, and updated on August 9 2022.
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