TOKYO: Japan’s death toll from COVID-19 coronavirus disease exceeded the 10,000 mark on Monday, with 29 new deaths reported among infected people across the country.

The milestone came around three months after the death toll reached 5,000, compared with about 11 months to hit the 5,000 threshold after the first death was confirmed in February last year.

The death toll now stands at 10,019, including deaths of former cruise ship passengers.

On the same day, 425 people were newly confirmed with the coronavirus in Tokyo, and 924 in the western prefecture of Osaka.

Tokyo’s daily tally of new coronavirus cases averaged 730.0 for the last week, up 21.5 pct from the preceding week’s 600.6.

In the Japanese capital, the number of infected people with severe symptoms under the metropolitan government’s standards stood at 55.

The total number of fatal COVID-19 cases in Japan started to rise sharply amid the third wave of the pandemic in the country from around November last year.

The daily death number temporarily decreased in March but has been on an uptrend since mid-April, especially in Osaka, amid the fourth wave.

JIJI Press