Coronavirus

COVID-19 Patients Up For 2nd Week in Row in Japan

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:09 JST, September 2, 2023

The number of COVID-19 patients increased for the second week in a row, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Friday.

Of the about 5,000 designated medical institutions nationwide, the average number of COVID-19 patients reported was 19.07 per institution in the week beginning on Aug. 21, up 1.07 times compared to the previous week, according to the ministry. It is the highest level since COVID-19 was reclassified to Category V.

The Tohoku region had the highest number of patients with Iwate Prefecture at 31.71, followed by Aomori Prefecture at 31.30 and Miyagi Prefecture at 29.54.

Compared to the previous week, Miyagi Prefecture saw an increase of 1.43 times, Tochigi Prefecture rose by 1.38, Gunma Prefecture was up by 1.37 and Tokyo increased by 1.33, suggesting that the coronavirus is spreading in eastern Japan.