The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 10 new cases of coronavirus infections Wednesday, local media reported — the lowest daily figure since March 22, when three cases were confirmed.
The figure, which compared with 28 new cases reported a day earlier, remained below 100 for the 11th day, pointing to signs that the pandemic may be coming under control in the capital amid the nationwide state of emergency.
The central government is set to decide Thursday on whether to lift the emergency declaration for some of the 47 prefectures, but Tokyo, which accounts for more than a quarter of total infections in Japan, as well as several other prefectures, will likely remain areas requiring special caution.
Wednesday’s figure brings the total number of cases in the capital to to around 4,997, with 196 deaths.
The metropolitan government on Tuesday released data detailing the number of positive infections from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing confirmed on certain days for the first time in an attempt to generate a more accurate picture on the overall infection rate. The government had previously reported only the figures confirmed daily from public health facilities, but these were likely to have included results from a day or days earlier.
According to the new data, the infection peaked at 266 cases on April 9, and the number has remained below 100 since April 25.
Nationwide, the number of new infections totaled 81 cases on Tuesday, bringing the overall tally in Japan, including cruise-ship related cases, to 16,736, with 691 deaths, according to Kyodo News.