Number of deaths in Tokyo increased in April at height of coronavirus pandemic

Jun 11, 2020 | News On Japan

Jun 11, 2020 (Japan Times) - Tokyo saw more deaths than usual in April, the month when coronavirus cases in the city peaked.

The hardest-hit city in the country, Tokyo saw 10,107 deaths from all causes in the month, according to data released Thursday by the Metropolitan Government. Thatâ€™s almost 12 percent higher than the average of the previous four years for which data are available, and 7 percent higher than the same month in 2019.

The city officially reported just over 100 deaths from the coronavirus in April. The mortality data suggests there were around 1,000 more deaths in the month than average, though Tokyo has a growing population that increased by 0.6 percent, or 80,000 people, from the year earlier to surpass 14 million for the first time. Deaths also increased in 2019 from the previous year by 6 percent.

Coronavirus cases in Tokyo rose significantly in April, when the capital began to see around 200 infections a day, leading the government to declare a national state of emergency. That succeeded in flattening the curve, leading to the emergency being lifted in the capital on May 25. An uptick in cases in Tokyo following that has led the city to issue its own â€œTokyo Alertâ€ warning to residents, which is now set to be lifted as early as Thursday.

A total of 311 have died from the disease to date. Another 256 are hospitalized as of Thursday, 22 of them in serious condition.

Japan has weathered the pandemic with far fewer deaths and confirmed infections that most other leading economies. President Donald Trump has questioned whether the U.S death count from the virus, which stands at about 113,000, had been overstated but health experts say the tally may actually be higher than that, using data such as overall morality figures.

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