Society

Severe COVID-19 patients in Japan fall below 1,000

Mar 19 (Japan Times) - The number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms in Japan dropped by 99 from Friday to 991 on Saturday, its first dip below 1,000 since Feb. 3, the health ministry said.

The figure began climbing in mid-January amid the sixth wave of the deadly virus and hit a peak of more than 1,500 in late February before starting to fall.

The news came as the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections in the country topped 6 million a day earlier.

Although the pace of increase in cumulative cases has been slowing slowing as the sixth wave peaks out, some experts are concerned that a fresh wave could hit the country amid to the spread of the BA.2 omicron variant.

The cumulative number exceeded 6 million 18 days after topping 5 million Feb. 28. It took 13 days for the tally to rise from 4 million to 5 million.

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Russian military plane intrudes into Japanese airspace, Tokyo lodges protest

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Kishida vows in meeting with Zelenskyy continued support for Ukraine

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Victim number increases to seven after torrential downpours in Ishikawa Pref.

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First Snow of Season Observed at Mount Rishiri

Signs of winter are already arriving. Mount Rishiri in Hokkaido recorded the first snowfall of the season on Sunday, making it the first observed in Japan this year.

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