TOKYO: The daily count of newly confirmed novel coronavirus infection cases came to 868 across Japan on Monday, falling below 900 for the first time since March 22.

New COVID-19 cases stood below 50 in each of the country’s 47 prefectures except Tokyo and three prefectures neighboring the Japanese capital–Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa. Aomori and 10 other prefectures reported no new cases.

Tokyo confirmed 236 new cases on Monday, up by 27 from a week before. Its seven-day average of new cases came to 391.9, up by 3 pct from a week earlier. The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients under Tokyo’s criteria rose by two from Sunday to 47.

New COVID-19 fatalities totaled 33 across the country.

According to the Japanese health ministry, the number of coronavirus patients in serious condition in the nation stood at 721 as of Monday, up by seven from the previous day

JIJI Press