TOKYO: A total of 1,440 new cases of novel coronavirus infection were confirmed across Japan on Sunday, with the daily total exceeding 1,000 for the sixth straight day.

Seven deaths linked to the coronavirus were reported, including three in Hokkaido.

In Tokyo, 255 people tested positive for the virus, the first reading below 300 in five days. The new cases include 68 in their 20s, 47 in their 30s and 43 in their 50s. Those aged 65 or older came to 25.

The number of severely ill patients in the Japanese capital stood at 38, falling by three from the previous day.

Hokkaido confirmed 209 new infection cases, marking the fourth consecutive day in which the daily count exceeded 200, while the number of infection cases stood at 266 in Osaka Prefecture, topping 200 for six days in a row.

In other prefectures, new infection cases totaled 114 in Kanagawa, 102 in Aichi, 80 in Saitama and 79 in Hyogo.

JIJI Press