The number of new coronavirus cases in Tokyo surpassed the 600-daily barrier for the first time on Thursday, as experts warned of increased pressure on hospitals.
Tokyo registered 602 new infections of the 2,810 reported nationwide. Since the start of the pandemic, Japan has confirmed 168,573 infections with 2,465 deaths.
The spike in cases has increased pressure on hospitals in the Japanese capital, making it difficult for many of them to treat patients with common illnesses, said Masataka Inokuchi of the city’s virus task force.
“They are not paralyzed yet, but the situation is becoming very tense,” he said.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike urged residents to avoid unnecessary outings, especially older people and their families. Tokyo has issued a request that venues serving drinks close earlier until December 17.
On the other hand, India reported 31,521 new infections in the last 24 hours on Thursday, just over a third of the cases registered during the height of the pandemic there in mid-September. The country has more than one under 50,000 new infections daily.
The Health Ministry also confirmed 412 more deaths from the virus, bringing the total of confirmed fatalities in India to 141,772. According to the ministry, which has outlined an initial plan to immunize 300 million people, some coronavirus vaccines could be licensed in the coming weeks.
South Korea reported 682 new infections as authorities work to expand the number of screening tests to slow infections.
The country’s Agency for Disease Control and Prevention noted that more than 500 of the new cases were recorded in the metropolitan area of the capital Seoul, which is at the center of the latest wave of the pandemic. Infections were also reported in other large cities such as Busan, Ulsan, and Daegu, which was the epicenter in the spring outbreak.
–
