THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
July 12, 2022 at 18:41 JST
The Tokyo metropolitan government building in the capital’s Shinjuku Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Tokyo and a host of other prefectures posted a sharp surge in new COVID-19 cases on July 12, indicating that the seventh wave of infections is taking hold across the country.
Tokyo reported 11,511 fresh daily cases, surpassing the 10,000 mark for the first time since March 16.
Case numbers dropped to 960 in the capital on June 13. But they began quickly rising from late last month.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said July 12 she requested hospitals increase beds for COVID-19 patients to a maximum 7,000 from the current 5,000 overall after the bed occupancy rate surpassed 41.1 percent in the capital.
Osaka Prefecture posted 9,960 new cases on July 12. The last time the number surpassed 9,000 was on March 2.
In Okinawa Prefecture, new cases rose to a record 3,436, excluding the number of cases among U.S. military personnel there, surpassing the previous high of 2,702 recorded on May 11.
Most of the rest of the prefectures in the Kyushu region are also seeing record daily new cases.
Saga Prefecture posted a record 1,205 new cases, topping 1,000 for the first time.
In Kagoshima Prefecture, new daily cases hit a record 1,517, also its first time passing the 1,000 mark.
Neighboring Kumamoto Prefecture reported 2,333 new cases, renewing the previous record of 1,669 set on July 8.
In the Shikoku region, Ehime Prefecture’s new cases totaled 1,014, its first time exceeding 1,000 as well.
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