Society

Coronavirus case numbers trending downward in Japan

Mar 25 (NHK) - The number of new cases of coronavirus has been gradually trending downward in Japan. More than 47,000 new infections were reported nationwide on Friday.

That is about 1,700 fewer than a week earlier and less than half of the daily peak recorded in early February.

Quasi-emergency measures ended on Monday. The anti-virus strictures had been in place in 18 of the country's 47 prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka.

Ahead of the first weekend after they were lifted, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko urged the public to continue to take precautions.

She said, "We are calling on everyone to work to ensure that all the perseverance demonstrated so far is not wasted."

Koike urged the public to continue to avoid dining out in big groups and refrain from lingering in bars and restaurants. She said it's important to sustain the downward trend in case numbers and reduce the burden on medical services.

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A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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