TOKYO: The daily count of new coronavirus cases in Japan totaled 20,991 on Monday, standing above 20,000 for the fourth straight day.

New COVID-19 fatalities came to four. The number of severely ill coronavirus patients across the country rose by eight from Sunday to 243, according to the health ministry.

Tokyo confirmed 3,719 new positive cases Monday, more than quadrupling from a week before.

Of Monday’s new cases in the Japanese capital, people in their 20s accounted for 1,232, the highest by age group, followed by 603 among those in their 30s, and 533 among those aged between 10 and 19. New cases totaled 285 among children aged 9 or younger.

Under the Tokyo metropolitan government’s standards, the number of patients with severe symptoms stood at five, unchanged from Sunday.

Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, reported 2,549 new cases, an increase of more than fivefold from a week before.

The southernmost prefecture of Okinawa saw its new cases fall to 530 from 779.

Daily new cases hit record highs in the western prefectures of Nara and Shimane, at 395 and 118, respectively.

Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, reported 1,859 new cases, its highest daily total this year.

JIJI Press