Photo/Illutration Peko-chan, the mascot of confectionery maker Fujiya Co., stands wearing a mask in Tokyo’s Ginza district on Dec. 24 as shoppers come to buy cakes on Christmas Eve. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Tokyo reported a record 888 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Dec. 24, far exceeding the 821 posted a week ago, putting a damper on Christmas Eve in the capital.

The surge in Tokyo pushed the nationwide total above at least 3,600, marking the second consecutive daily record. The figure was 3,271 the previous day.

Tokyo has seen new records set for each day of the week for 10 consecutive days.

The previous record announced on Dec. 17 has been revised downward since the preliminary report of 822.

Seventy-three patients, up by four from the previous day, were classified as having severe symptoms that require the use of a ventilator or an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device, which circulates blood through an artificial lung.

In Kanagawa Prefecture, officials confirmed 495 new COVID-19 cases on Dec. 24, far surpassing the previous record of 348 logged two days earlier.

On Dec. 23, Japan confirmed a record 3,271 people newly infected with the novel coronavirus as of 9:30 p.m. The figure surpassed the previous high of 3,209 on Dec. 17.

Related deaths totaled 56 nationwide, a daily high, on the same day.

The number of severely ill patients fell to 619, down by one from the previous day.

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