Photo/Illutration The Asahi Shimbun

Surges in new COVID-19 cases have set records in western Japan and driven up the nationwide total to a level that is prompting health experts to reissue warnings to the public.

Newly confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus around Japan reached 45,821 as of 8 p.m. on July 6, nearly twice the figure from the previous Wednesday.

The tally was the 16th consecutive week-on-week increase and the first to exceed 40,000 since May 18.

In western Japan, Tottori Prefecture reported a record high 215 new cases on July 6.

Neighboring Shimane Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku and Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu all reported their second-highest totals on July 6, following record highs set the previous day.

Also in the Kyushu region, Saga Prefecture posted its second-highest total of new infections while Oita Prefecture confirmed its third-highest figure on July 6.

A large chunk of the new infections in western Japan came from Osaka Prefecture, which logged 4,621 new cases on July 6, almost twice the figure from a week earlier.

Rising infection numbers were also reported in eastern Japan, including 8,341 in Tokyo, the first time since April 14 for the figure in the capital to top 8,000.

The nationwide daily average of new COVID-19 cases over the week until July 5 was around 24,400, according to Asahi Shimbun calculations. In the previous week, the daily average was around 15,600.

The health ministry on July 5 instructed local authorities across the country to check and enhance medical services, including testing for the virus, in their areas.

Members of an expert panel advising the health ministry on how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic said the more contagious BA.5 subvariant of the Omicron variant is likely replacing existing strains and causing the increase in new cases.

They also said people’s immunity may have weakened in the months since their last vaccine shots, close contact has increased in society, and the use of air conditioning has resulted in shut windows and a lack of ventilation.

More than 30 percent of newly infected people in Japan are under 20 years old, according to the recent daily figures.

The daily number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms has remained around 50 to 60 in July so far.

In late February, during the sixth wave of infections, more than 1,500 patients were in serious condition on some days.

Koji Wada, a professor of public health at the International University of Health and Welfare, is calling on eligible people to receive their third or fourth vaccine shots.

He is also advising the public to avoid high-risk places, such as crowded indoor venues with insufficient ventilation.

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