Japan's Daily New COVID-19 Cases Exceed 500 Again After Two and a Half Months

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] In Japan, the daily number of new COVID-19 cases has exceeded 500 again after about two and a half months.

According to the public broadcaster NHK's tally on the 30th, the number of newly confirmed domestic cases across Japan the previous day was 501. There were 4 deaths and 49 severe cases. This is the first time the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 500 since October 16.

Japan's average daily cases per month sharply declined from 18,315 at the peak of the fifth wave on August 1 to 7,023 in September, 556 in October, and 150 in November. Since then, it slightly increased to 192 this month. The average daily cases over the past week is 323.

The increase in new cases appears to be due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

According to statistics from the Yomiuri Shimbun, the cumulative number of Omicron cases in Japan as of the previous day was 471, of which 360 were identified during airport quarantine, and 111 were confirmed through local government COVID-19 testing.

Cases of community transmission with unknown infection routes have also occurred in Tokyo and Osaka, raising concerns about a resurgence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.