Photo/Illutration People wearing protective masks to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus walk along a Tokyo shopping street on Jan. 28. (AP Photo)

Tokyo and Osaka on Jan. 30 both posted COVID-19 records for a Sunday.

New cases in the capital came to 15,895, while Osaka reported 9,135, up 2,916 from a week ago.

The latest count in Tokyo was about 1.7 times the number of the previous Sunday, metropolitan government officials said.

The seven-day average of new cases over the week through Jan. 30 in the capital came to 14,699.9, compared with 7,901.9 for the preceding week.

Officials said a male patient in his 70s died from COVID-19 complications.

Of the 15,895 new cases in Tokyo, patients in their 20s constituted the largest group at 3,307, while those in their 50s totaled 1,546. Patients aged 65 and older accounted for 1,213 cases.

The number of patients with symptoms serious enough to require special breathing equipment stood at 23, up one from the previous day.

As of Jan. 30, the occupancy rate of hospital beds in the capital for COVID-19 patients was 48.5 percent. The metropolitan government is expected to consider declaring a state of emergency if the figure reaches 50 percent.

The same day, Osaka Prefecture confirmed five new related deaths among patients in their 80s and 90s.

The occupancy rate of hospital beds in the prefecture was 67.4 percent.

Authorities said 32,370 patients are recuperating at home while 45,187 are waiting to hear from health officials whether they can be admitted to hospitals or will have to recuperate at home or in designated quarantine facilities.

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