Japan confirmed 1,570 new coronavirus cases across the country on Tuesday, the third straight day below 2,000.
The number of severely ill coronavirus patients fell by 14 from the previous day to 759, while 94 new deaths were reported.
The health ministry said it has detected the coronavirus variant raging in Britain in 11 men in their 20s to 50s in an apparent cluster of infections involving a single facility. The men have no recent overseas travel history.
Six of the men live in Tochigi, Ibaraki, Fukushima, Nagano, Niigata and Gunma prefectures. It is the first time the variant has been found in residents of the six prefectures, excluding cases detected through airport testing.
Tokyo confirmed 412 new COVID-19 cases, a day after reporting 276 infections — the lowest figure since Nov. 24.
Tuesday was the 12th straight day that the capital saw fewer than 1,000 COVID-19 cases.
The figure came during the second day of Japan’s extended coronavirus state of emergency. Under the initial emergency declaration, cases of the deadly virus fell nationwide, though fatalities still remain high for many areas, including Tokyo and Osaka.
Tuesday’s figure in the capital also saw severe cases under the metropolitan government’s standards remain flat at 104.
Of the total new cases in Tokyo, 76 were in their 20s, 67 in their 30s and 62 in their 40s. People age 65 or older accounted for 100 cases. The cumulative number of cases in the capital is now 104,533.
Tokyo’s daily figure comes after 5,065 tests were conducted Saturday. It usually takes around three days for tests to produce results.
On Monday, Japan confirmed 1,216 new coronavirus cases, marking the second consecutive day below 2,000. In one bright sign, Miyagi Prefecture reported no new cases for the first time since Aug. 26.
However, the country confirmed 83 new deaths linked to the virus the same day, including 14 in Kanagawa Prefecture, 12 in Tokyo and 11 in Osaka Prefecture. Osaka’s cumulative death toll reached 1,009, becoming the second prefecture to top 1,000 following Tokyo.
The number of severely ill patients reported nationwide Monday fell by 22 from Sunday to 773.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus variant that originated in Britain was found in eight people in Hyogo and Saitama prefectures on Monday, pushing the cumulative number of variant cases in the country up to 92.
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