Alarming Surge in Japan’s COVID-19 Cases; 10 Weeks Straight Increase, Half Aged 14 and Under

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:46 JST, February 2, 2024

The Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry provided an update on Friday regarding the COVID-19 situation in Japan. According to the update, an average of 14.93 cases per designated medical institution were reported for the week of January 22 to 28, using data gathered from about 5,000 institutions nationwide. This reflects a 1.22-fold increase from the previous week, marking the 10th consecutive week that cases have risen.

Broken down by prefecture, Fukushima recorded the highest number of cases with 23.94, while Ishikawa, affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, also reported more than 20 cases.

Analyzing the age distribution of the cases, it was observed that approximately half of the infected individuals were 14 years old or younger. An official from the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry suggested a potential connection between the uptick in infections and the conclusion of the school winter break.