TOKYO: Japan confirmed 2,843 new cases of novel coronavirus infection on Wednesday, marking the highest daily count since the beginning of February.

Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, recorded 599 new coronavirus cases, its first daily figure above 500 since Jan. 23 and surpassing Tokyo’s daily coronavirus tally for the second straight day.

The Osaka prefectural government requested the Japanese government Wednesday to implement pre-emergency measures against the coronavirus in a bid to prevent new cases from increasing further.

The northeastern prefecture of Miyagi found 200 new infection cases, its record daily high. The daily count also hit a record high, at 81, in Aomori Prefecture, also northeastern Japan, including 68 cases at facilities for disabled people in the city of Aomori, the prefecture’s capital.

In Hyogo Prefecture, which borders Osaka, new infection cases totaled 211, the first figure above 200 there since Jan. 28.

Among people newly found with the virus in Osaka, 174 are in their 20s, 83 in their 50s and 81 in their 40s.

In Miyagi, infection routes are unknown for 115 of the new cases.

In Tokyo, 414 new coronavirus cases were reported Wednesday, the first figure above 400 in four days.

Tokyo’s daily tally was down from 420 a week earlier, but the average for the week through Wednesday stood at 360.7, up 16.5 pct from the preceding week’s 309.7. The number of infected people with severe symptoms under the Tokyo metropolitan government’s criteria increased by six from Tuesday to 45.

The country’s new COVID-19 fatalities totaled 49, including 23 in Tokyo. The number of severely ill patients rose by 14 to 382.

According to the health ministry, 129 coronavirus variant cases were confirmed in the week through Tuesday, with Japan’s cumulative variant cases coming to 678, found in 34 of the country’s 47 prefectures.

The cumulative number of variant cases found through airport quarantine rose by 23 to 123.

JIJI Press