TOKYO: Japan reported 71,630 new coronavirus infection cases Wednesday, exceeding 70,000 for the first time.

The daily count hit a record high for the second straight day, with the number of severely ill COVID-19 patients rising 26 from Tuesday to 470. New fatalities came to 34.

In Tokyo, new infection cases numbered 14,086, also a record high, according to the metropolitan government.

The occupancy rate of hospital beds for novel coronavirus patients in Tokyo stood at 42.8 pct, up 3 percentage points from Tuesday.

The number of severely ill patients under Tokyo’s criteria grew by four from Tuesday to 18. Five new deaths were recorded.

New cases hit a record high in 33 of Japan’s 47 prefectures including Tokyo. The western prefecture of Osaka logged 9,813 cases, the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido 2,091 cases, and the western prefecture of Hyogo 4,303 cases.

The daily count stood at 100 or more in all of the 47 prefectures except Iwate, northeastern Japan.

JIJI Press