Photo/Illutration Billboard lights are turned off at 8 p.m. on buildings in Sapporo's Susukino entertainment district. (Kengo Hiyoshi)

Hokkaido for the second straight day confirmed more new cases of COVID-19 than Tokyo.

Despite having less than half of the capital’s population, Hokkaido reported 657 fresh cases on May 22.

Tokyo metropolitan government officials logged 602 new cases in the capital.

On May 21, Hokkaido confirmed a record 727 cases, while Tokyo had 649.

The May 22 figure for Hokkaido was the fourth highest daily total in the northernmost main island. It also marked the fourth straight with more than 600 cases. Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital, reported 409 cases.

For the one-week period ending May 22, the daily average of new cases in Tokyo was 650.4, or 74.2 percent of the figure of the preceding week.

Sixty-two patients displayed serious symptoms that required special breathing apparatus to help them cope. The figure was down three from the previous day.

Of the latest cases in Tokyo, 182 patients were in their 20s, 110 in their 30s, 101 in their 40s and 64 in their 50s. Sixty-nine patients were aged 65 or older.

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