UPDATE - Daily COVID-19 cases in Japan top 50,000 for 1st time

UPDATES WITH NATIONWIDE NUMBERS; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Ahmet Furkan Mercan

TOKYO (AA) – Japan Saturday reported over 50,000 daily cases of coronavirus, the highest single-day figure since the start of the pandemic two years ago.

A total of 54,576 people in Japan tested positive over the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.

The daily count of COVID-19 cases in the capital Tokyo also topped the 10,000 threshold on Saturday for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the provincial governor’s office said.

The tally of daily COVID-19 cases was reported as 11,227, bringing the total number in Tokyo to over 453,000.

In light of the recent surge in cases, the Japanese government on Friday expanded a limited state of emergency in 16 states, including Tokyo.

The limited state of emergency enables state governors to shorten work hours at restaurants, stop alcohol sales, and request that the public not travel outside of their home states.