TOKYO: Japan’s daily count of new COVID-19 cases totaled 46,199 on Thursday, hitting a new record high for the third successive day, with the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the country topping 2 million the same day.

The country reached the 2-million milestone about five months after its total caseload hit 1 million in August 2021. The country logged its first coronavirus case in January 2020.

New infection figures started surging earlier this month, in line with the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The proportion of suspected omicron cases grew to some 93 pct of the new coronavirus cases confirmed in the week through Sunday, according to a health ministry estimate.

Meanwhile, the number of severely ill coronavirus patients nationwide is staying lower than levels in the middle of the fifth wave of infections last summer, when the delta variant prevailed.

On Thursday, the number rose by six from Wednesday to 287, while nine new fatalities from COVID-19 were reported.

In Tokyo, 8,638 new infections were confirmed on the day. The capital’s daily infection total hit a new record high for the second straight day, surpassing Wednesday’s 7,377. The number of severe cases under the metropolitan government’s criteria fell by one from Wednesday to nine.

Including Tokyo, a total of 28 prefectures logged record highs in daily new cases on Thursday.

JIJI Press