Japan on Wednesday confirmed its highest daily number of new COVID-19 infections at 1,299 cases, marking the first time the daily tally has topped the 1,000 threshold amid concerns over rising cases outside the capital.
Tokyo, the epicenter of the outbreak, reported 250 new infections, bringing its cumulative total to 11,861 cases, while Osaka confirmed its highest ever daily total of new infections at 221, marking the first time cases have topped 200 in the western prefecture.
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura told a press briefing on the matter that the situation could worsen.
"Considering the positive rate in virus tests is as high as 10 percent, I think the number of infections will increase further," Yoshimura said, as the region's cumulative total hit 3,651 cases.
Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, meanwhile, also registered a fresh daily record of 167 new infections, with the prefecture's cumulative number of cases reaching 1,452, according to the latest figures Wednesday evening.
Mayor of Nagoya, Aichi's capital city, Takashi Kawamura, told an an extraordinary press conference that the rising number of infections was causing a strain on the region's medical system.
"The situation is completely different from the one between February and April," Kawamura said.
"We are feeling the strain on the number of hospital beds available, and there are even residents waiting to be admitted," he added.
In Fukuoka Prefecture, in southwestern Japan, 101 new daily infections were recorded, also an all-time high for the prefecture, where total cases have risen to 1,636, according to the latest figures.
The health ministry and local authorities reported Wednesday evening that the nation's cumulative cases of the novel coronavirus now stands at 33,474, not including those connected to a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo in February.
The nationwide death toll from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 1,017 people, Wednesday evening's figures showed.
