TOKYO: Japan confirmed 6,378 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

One new COVID-19-linked death was reported each in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the eastern prefecture of Gunma.

The number of patients in severe condition across the country rose by 10 from a day earlier to 100, reaching the threshold for the first time since Nov. 7.

In Tokyo alone, 962 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, up about sixfold from 151 a week earlier.

In the capital, people in their 20s made up the largest group of new cases, at 383, followed by 163 in their 30s, 113 in their 40s and 100 aged 10-19.

There were four patients with severe symptoms in Tokyo, unchanged from the previous day.

Elsewhere in Japan, the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa confirmed 775 new cases, while the western prefectures of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi reported 588 and 143 new cases, respectively. The three prefectures are currently in the government’s COVID-19 pre-emergency stage.

The US Marine Corps’ Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi reported 71 new cases, bringing its cumulative number to 1,036.

The country had confirmed 2,345 cases of the omicron variant as of 9 p.m. Monday (noon GMT). Infection routes are unknown for 1,217 cases of the total.

JIJI Press