Photo/Illutration The Tokyo metropolitan government building and other high-rises in the capital’s Shinjuku district (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Tokyo reported 5,374 new COVID-19 cases on March 7, down by 4,258 from Monday a week ago.

It was the first time in almost a month and a half for the daily count of fresh COVID-19 cases in the capital to be less than 6,000.

The last time was Jan. 18 when Tokyo logged 5,181 new cases.

The daily average of the number of new patients over the week up to March 7 was 10,391, or 92.3 percent of the previous week’s figure, which was 11,259.

Tokyo officials also reported eight deaths, all of whom were between ages 70 and 99.

Of the 5,374 cases, 206 were suspected to be infected with the virus without taking a test.

Children aged 9 or younger accounted for the largest age group among the patients with 1,091, followed by 848 in their 40s, 842 in their 30s, 819 in their 20s, and 716 between 10 and 19.

Those who are 65 or older were 375.

The occupancy rate of hospital beds in Tokyo was 47.6 percent.

The occupancy rate of hospital beds for severe patients was 26.2 percent as of March 6. The Tokyo metropolitan government has stated that the officials will request the central government to issue a state of emergency in Tokyo if this figure rises to between 30 to 40 percent.

The number of serious cases as defined by the metropolitan government, meaning those who require ventilators or ECMO heart-lung bypass machines, was 69, down by two from the previous day.

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