Japan sees record COVID-19 cases

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan registered record daily COVID-19 cases on Thursday and urged citizens to get booster shots to stem the further spread of the deadly disease.

According to data analysis by Tokyo-based Kyodo News, the country of over 127 million people reported over 180,000 daily coronavirus cases -- a record since the pandemic broke out in late 2019.

Japan’s Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto said “the surge in cases could increase the number of patients with severe symptoms and affect the health care system as it may cause group infections in facilities with high-risk people, such as hospitals and nursing homes.”

Of the country’s 47 provinces, around 35 reported all-time-high cases as Japan undergoes the seventh wave of infections with the BA.5 omicron subvariant spreading across the country.

Japan reported 152,536 cases a day earlier in its 30 provinces.

The capital Tokyo registered 31,878 coronavirus cases, above 30,000 for the first time. The past record stood at 21,562 as reported on Feb. 2 early this year.

“The capital is making full efforts to ramp up its medical system,” said Governor Yuriko Koike as Tokyo has witnessed a daily tally of over 10,000 infections since July 12.

Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesperson, said “there is a need to watch the impact on the medical system with maximum caution.”

Matsuno, however, ruled out any possibility of imposing a restriction on the movement of people.

There are fears cases might rise as Japan will see a rush of tourists when it closes for the summer vacation season in some days.

Japan has so far reported more than 10.7 million COVID-19 cases, including 31,697 deaths since the pandemic began.