Your Tuesday Briefing – The New York Times

Japan lifts its state of emergency

Restrictions on Tokyo and the northern island of Hokkaido were lifted on Monday, ending the last measures that were put in place. Japan entered a new phase of its pandemic response.

The next steps will focus on avoiding a resurgence, as happened after Japan partially lifted the state of emergency a few weeks ago. The restrictions imposed in Tokyo were more successful than anticipated, defying predictions that the densely populated capital would experience a catastrophe.

“We need to make a new normal. Let’s change our thinking,” said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he announced the shift. He called on the public to keep taking actions that will curb the spread of the virus, warning, “We can’t continue to live and work in the way we’ve done until now.”

Context: The measures were lifted for most of the rest of the country earlier this month after a drop in the number of new coronavirus cases.

Putin’s bonus for doctors goes awry

President Vladimir Putin’s promise of cash bonuses for the doctors and nurses leading Russia’s battle with the coronavirus has turned into a bureaucratic mess, with some medical workers getting visits from the security services rather than money.

The promise of up to $1,100 a month was meant to showcase Mr. Putin’s proudest achievement — the revitalization of the Russian state after the chaos of the 1990s.

A month after the pledge, though, Mr. Putin said that 29 regions have ignored his order and that less than half of medical workers nationwide had received the money he had promised.

Quotable: “The diagnosis is obvious,” said Dmitri Drize, a Moscow-based human rights lawyer. “Officials have forgotten how to make decisions on their own. And this disease is worse than the coronavirus.”

Background: With more than 350,000 cases, Russia is the third most infected country after the United States and Brazil. Mr. Putin’s approval rating has taken a beating over the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. Many observers, however, expect the president to bounce back, albeit in a weakened position.

As Australia’s infection rates decline, a milestone came on Monday when children were sent back to school in parts of the country. Damien Cave, our Sydney bureau chief, wrote about being overjoyed (“if my wife and I could have popped champagne at 8 a.m. we would have”) even though watching parents with masks gave him a sense of a changed normal life.

“What have we learned? Honestly, less about school than ourselves,” he wrote. “Our children said they were surprised to discover how hard their parents worked. I come away with a deeper understanding of my children as students.”

Here’s what else is happening

New Zealand quake: A magnitude-5.8 earthquake struck Monday while Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was giving a live television interview, but it did not cause major damage nor did it disrupt Ms. Ardern’s calm demeanor.

In Memoriam: Hana Kimura, a Japanese professional wrestler who starred in the Netflix reality series “Terrace House: Tokyo,” has died. She was 22. The cause of her death remained unknown.

Snapshot: Above, people enjoying a night out at a restaurant in Málaga, Spain, over the weekend. In a new phase of reopening across Europe, pools, hotels and restaurants are back in business and preparing for the summer. But tourism is unlikely to look the same for a long time.

What we’re looking at: The poppy field cams on the California Department of Parks and Recreation website and virtual tours of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. For when you “long for the outside world,” writes Jenna Wortham, a Times Magazine staff writer.

Do: Travel-themed board games are about more than winning. Here’s a list of all sorts of travel games inspired by landmarks, train rides and hotels.

There are many more ideas on what to read, cook, watch and do while staying safe at home in our At Home section.

And now for the Back Story on …

Coronavirus and climate disasters

The U.S. government’s annual Atlantic region hurricane forecast came out on Thursday, and it’s worrisome. A typical hurricane season has 12 named storms. This year’s season — which could start any day now — is expected to have between 13 and 19, according to the forecast.

To get ready for hurricane season, Christopher Flavelle, a Times reporter who covers the climate, recently called Samantha Montano, a professor of emergency management at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. He asked her what was making local officials nervous this year. Her answer: The effect that the coronavirus will have on the volunteers who normally respond to storms.

The U.S. disaster response system relies heavily on volunteers, and many won’t be able to fly to disaster zones, Christopher says. Those who do go will have a harder time interacting with people. “Volunteers do everything,” Dr. Montano told him — handing out donations, moving debris off the roads, repairing houses, helping survivors navigate state and federal aid programs. “Every single task we do in emergency management involves volunteers,” she said.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Melina and Carole

Thank you
To Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the story of the biggest earthquake ever recorded in North America.
• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Hard thing to give a cat (four letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• Times journalists and guests will discuss 100 years of change since women in the U.S. achieved a landmark victory: the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave them the right to vote. You can R.S.V.P. for the event held Tuesday at 4 p.m. E.T. (4 a.m. in Hong Kong).