THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
April 1, 2021 at 19:06 JST
The “Tower of Sun” in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, appears in red to reflect the prefectural government’s issuance of a “red alert” concerning the COVID-19 situation on Dec. 3. (Yuki Shibata)
OSAKA--The Osaka prefectural government confirmed 616 new coronavirus infections on April 1, the first time the daily figure has exceeded 600 since Jan. 16, when 629 cases were reported.
The surge in new infections in the prefecture and surrounding areas prompted the Hanshin Tigers professional baseball team to announce a suspension of ticket sales for a series against the Yomiuri Giants at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, from April 6 to 8.
The Tigers, who have a large and loyal fan base mainly in the Kansai region, are scheduled to play three night games against their Central League rivals to open the season at Hanshin’s home stadium.
The team said it made the decision because the central government has approved pre-emergency measures for cities in Hyogo Prefecture, as well as in Osaka and Miyagi prefectures, from April 5 to stem the increase in new COVID-19 cases.
“We will suspend ticket sales until the situation becomes clearer,” a team official said.
Anti-rheumatism drug could help those with severe COVID-19 signs
May 6, 2020
Osaka governor, mayor call for canceling torch relay in Osaka
April 1, 2021
Osaka posts 599 new infections; pre-emergency measures eyed
March 31, 2021
Tokyo posts 118 infections on April 4, first day to hit 100 mark
April 5, 2020
Four ‘emergency’ areas report record number of virus infections
April 10, 2020
Daily COVID-19 cases in Tokyo rise again after pace slowed
April 29, 2020
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
