Photo/Illutration People wearing face masks cross a traffic intersection in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo on Aug. 17. (AP Photo)

Tokyo chalked up 186 new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 18, the first time in two days for the figure to stay under 200, according to metropolitan government officials.

With 60 patients in their 20s and 44 in their 30s, those aged between 20 and 40 accounted for 56 percent of the total.

The breakdown for other age groups is as follows: 29 cases involving patients in their 50s; 18 in their 40s: 11 in their 60s; eight teenagers; and six each in their 70s and 80s. There were three patients under the age of 10 and one in their 90s.

The daily average for the past week was 256.3 cases. While there were days in early August of more than 300 new cases, the figure has fallen under 300 since Aug. 13.

A metropolitan government official said on Aug. 18 that the request to bars, restaurants and karaoke parlors to close earlier than usual may have had some effect in reducing the number of new infections.

But the figure announced alone could not be used to analyze the current situation, the official said.

However, the number of patients with severe symptoms increased by one over the previous day to 32. That is more than double the 15 patients with severe symptoms on Aug. 1.

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