TOKYO: The COVID-19 death toll in Japan topped 30,000 on Friday about three months after exceeding 20,000 in February.

The country recorded its first COVID-19 fatality in February 2020. Its death toll reached 10,000 in April 2021.

Japan’s sixth and biggest wave of coronavirus infections, driven by the omicron variant, peaked out in February this year.

But the daily number of new cases is beginning to rise again after the Golden Week holiday period between late April and early May.

On Friday, Japan recorded 39,647 new infections, up some 18,000 from a week before. The daily count posted week-on-week growth for the seventh consecutive day.

The number of very ill COVID-19 patients fell by three from Thursday to 156, with 36 new fatalities confirmed.

Tokyo reported 4,109 new infections, up 1,428 from a week earlier, with the seven-day average up 46.1 pct at 4,153, according to the metropolitan government.

Four new deaths were confirmed in the Japanese capital, while the number of severely ill patients under Tokyo’s criteria dropped by two from Thursday to four.

JIJI Press