TOKYO: Japan confirmed 1,797 new cases of novel coronavirus infection on Wednesday.

New COVID-19 fatalities totaled 58 across the country. The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients fell by 51 from Tuesday to 646.

On Wednesday, new cases in Tokyo came to 619, up by 118 from a week earlier. The daily tally topped the 600 mark for the first time since May 28.

With Saitama Prefecture confirming 108 new cases, Chiba Prefecture 131 and Kanagawa Prefecture 201, the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the Tokyo metropolitan area exceeded 1,000.

According to the Tokyo metropolitan government, the Japanese capital’s daily infection tally averaged 422.7 in the week to Wednesday, up 9.9 pct from a week before. The number of people severely ill with the coronavirus in Tokyo under the metropolitan government’s standards decreased by one from Tuesday to 44.

Japan’s health ministry said that 36 people in the country were found infected with the coronavirus variant first detected in India in the week to Monday, bringing the cumulative total to 153, found in 13 of the nation’s 47 prefectures.

By prefecture, Tokyo had the largest number, at 43, followed by Kanagawa, at 29, Chiba, at 18, and Hyogo in western Japan, at 13.

Japan had also confirmed a total of 212 Indian variant cases through port and airport quarantine as of June 14, up by 10 from a week earlier.

JIJI Press