TOKYO: Japan confirmed a record high of 795 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, signaling a renewed spread of the virus across the country.

The previous high of 743 cases was marked on April 11.

Tokyo, the country’s capital, reported 238 new cases, bringing its total above 10,000 cases. The number of cases grew by some 3,000 over the past two weeks.

Wednesday’s total in Tokyo included 144 cases in people in their 20s to 30s and 51 cases in those in their 40s to 50s.

Twenty-one cases were apparently linked to nightlife districts, while 28 cases were through contact with family members and 15 cases were linked to dining with others.

The western prefecture of Osaka confirmed 121 new cases, its first above 100.

People in their 10s to 30s accounted for more than 60 pct of the total in Osaka. “We must prevent the spread of infections that are expanding to various generations,” Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said.

Elsewhere in Japan, the number of new cases was at 62 in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, at 64 in the central prefecture of Aichi, and at 59 in the southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, hitting their respective record highs.

Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, had 68 new cases, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, 40 new cases, and the western prefecture of Hyogo 30 new cases, their highest levels since the country’s state of emergency over the coronavirus was lifted in late May.

Tokyo confirmed its first case on Jan. 24. Its new cases once started declining after hitting 206 on April 17, when the state of emergency was in place.

But the number began increasing again in mid-June, standing mostly at levels above 100 and fewer than 300 in the past two weeks.

JIJI Press