
TOKYO: The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients across Japan has fallen below 1,000 for the first time since Aug. 5, the health ministry said Wednesday.
As of midnight Tuesday, the number of novel coronavirus patients with severe symptoms stood at 998, down by 64 from the previous day, the ministry said.
The number of such patients started surging in late July after the country entered the fifth wave of infections.
The figure topped 1,000 on Aug. 6 and reached 2,000 on Aug. 27. After peaking on Sept. 4 at 2,223, a record high, the number is on the decline.
JIJI Press