Tokyo: The number of influenza cases per regularly monitored medical institutions in Japan in the week through Oct. 29 stood at 19.68, exceeding the alert level of 10 for the third straight week, the health ministry said Monday.

The number of cases reported from about 5,000 such medical institutions across the country totaled 97,292.

By prefecture, the per-institution count was highest in Ehime, at 51.46, followed by Saitama, at 33.08, Yamanashi, at 29.56, Chiba, at 29.25, and Fukushima, at 28.93.

The count topped the alert level in 42 of the country’s 47 prefectures.

The number of kindergartens, elementary, junior high and senior high schools and other entities that closed partially or fully due to the flu came to 4,706, up by 955 from the preceding week.

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 infection cases per medical institution stood at 2.86 in the week through Oct. 29, down for the eighth successive week.

By prefecture, Hokkaido had the highest figure, at 7.08, followed by Nagano, at 6.39, Yamanashi, at 4.56, and Ishikawa, at 4.38.

JIJI Press