TOKYO: Japan reported 7,133 new coronavirus infection cases Friday, marking a daily count above 7,000 for the first time in six days.

The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients rose by 14 from the previous day to a record 934, according to the health ministry.

Tokyo confirmed 2,001 new infection cases. Its daily count topped 2,000 also for the first time in six days.

The number of severely ill patients counted under Tokyo’s criteria dropped by two to 133.

People in their 20s made up the largest age group of Tokyo’s new infection cases at 458, followed by 355 in their 30s, 303 in their 40s and 297 in their 50s.

Elsewhere in Japan, the number of new cases hit record highs at 159 in Ibaraki Prefecture, 504 in Chiba Prefecture, 25 in Fukui Prefecture, 37 in Kagawa Prefecture and 35 in Saga Prefecture.

Japan saw 78 fatal cases Friday, including 12 in Osaka Prefecture, 11 in Aichi Prefecture and 10 each in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.

Meanwhile, seven people tested positive for new variants, sending the country’s cumulative number of such infections to 41, according to the health ministry.

The seven have visited Britain, South Africa or elsewhere, and two of them have developed symptoms such as fever, the ministry said.

JIJI Press