TOKYO: The daily number of new COVID-19 cases in Japan came to 76,011 on Tuesday, above 70,000 for the first time since March 3.

The daily count climbed more than twofold from a week earlier and posted week-on-week growth for 22 days in a row.

Of the country’s 47 prefectures, 12 saw their daily infection tallies hit a record high. They included Okinawa, where new infections totaled 3,436.

The number of severely ill coronavirus patients across the country rose by eight from Monday to 83, while 23 new deaths were confirmed among infected people.

In Tokyo, 11,511 new infections were reported. The Japanese capital’s daily count rose by 6,209 from a week earlier, up for the 25th straight day, to top 10,000 for the first time since 10,220 logged on March 16. The seven-day average of new infections rose 136.6 pct from a week before to 8,941.

One new COVID-19 fatality was reported in Tokyo, while the number of coronavirus patients with severe symptoms under Tokyo’s criteria rose by three from Monday to 12.

JIJI Press