Photo/Illutration Passengers crowd the departure lobby of Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Dec. 28. (Sayuri Ide)

Both Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture reported 78 new COVID-19 cases on Dec. 31 as the daily infection tallies in the urban centers continue to climb.

The last time Osaka had more than 70 fresh cases was Oct. 20, when the prefectural government reported 73 new infections.

For Tokyo, it was the third straight day with more than 50 new cases. The number for Dec. 31 in the capital was double the number reported on the previous Friday.

For the week ending Dec. 31, the daily average of new cases in Tokyo was 54.3, a 68.1-percent increase over the average of the previous week.

There was still one COVID-19 patient in the capital with symptoms serious to require the use of a ventilator or other equipment to breathe.

Okinawa prefectural government officials reported 44 new COVID-19 cases among local residents on Dec. 31, down from 50 on the previous day.

But the prefectural government was also informed by U.S. military officials that 98 new cases were confirmed among military personnel, more than double the 45 of the previous day, in the southernmost prefecture.

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