TOKYO: The number of people with severe COVID-19 symptoms caused by the novel coronavirus in Japan rose to a record 731 as of Monday, up by 17 from the previous day, the health ministry said.

On Monday, 3,324 people were newly found positive for the novel coronavirus across the country, with the daily count standing above 3,000 for the seventh straight day. The daily figure hit the highest level in the southwestern prefectures of Saga and Miyazaki, at 23 and 32, respectively.

Forty-eight COVID-19 deaths were newly confirmed in the country, including 11 in the western prefecture of Osaka.

Tokyo found 884 new novel coronavirus infection cases on Monday. The number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients under the Tokyo metropolitan government’s standards rose by seven from Sunday to a record 108. The previous record was 105, marked on April 28-29 last year, when the Japanese government’s state of emergency over the coronavirus was in place.

Cluster infections were confirmed at a high school run by the Tokyo metropolitan government, with a total of 45 students and staff workers found positive for the virus.

Of those who were confirmed with the virus in Tokyo on Monday, 241 are in their 20s, 181 in their 30s, 147 in their 40s and 124 in their 50s. Those aged 65 or over totaled 90. Infections were confirmed in all generations, including people aged under 10 and centenarians, according to the metropolitan government.

JIJI Press