Photo/Illutration People wearing face masks as protection against the spread of the novel coronavirus at a Tokyo crossing on Aug. 16 (AP Photo)

Serious cases of COVID-19 patients requiring ventilator and other special breathing equipment rose to 268 in Tokyo on Aug. 16, the seventh straight day of setting a record since the pandemic began last year.

The figure was up 17 from the previous day.

The number of newly confirmed infections in the capital meantime hit 2,962, a record for a Monday, which usually logs a low number of new cases due to fewer people getting tested over the weekend.

Tokyo metropolitan government health officials also confirmed five deaths, including a man in his 40s, the same day.

Tokyo defines only patients on ventilators or ECMO lung bypass machines as serious cases, different from other prefectures that count those in ICUs as well.

Of the 2,962 confirmed new cases, patients in their 20s accounted for 927. They were followed by 572 patients in their 30s, 459 in their 40s and 350 in their 50s. There were 283 patients between the ages of 10 and 19. Patients aged 65 or older totaled 130.

The seven-day average of new cases for the week through Aug. 16 came to 4,275, an increase of 3.4 percent from the figure for the preceding week.

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