Society

COVID-19 cases in Japan rise by 31 to reach 17,031

Jun 04 (china.org.cn) - Japan has reported 31 new confirmed COVID-19 cases with the total reaching 17,031, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Wednesday.

The number excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 918 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the cruise ship.

In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 12 to reach 5,295, followed by Osaka Prefecture with 1,783 infections.

Kanagawa Prefecture, meanwhile, has recorded 1,373 infections, Hokkaido 1,102 cases, Saitama 1,002,Chiba 904, while Fukuoka Prefecture has recorded 786 cases of COVID-19, according to the latest figures on Wednesday.

The health ministry said there are currently a total of 102 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators or in intensive care units.

The ministry also said that in total, 15,425 people, including 654 from the cruise ship, have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.

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