Japan reported another day of record Covid-19 cases, adding 3,214 infections from Thursday, according to the country’s Health Ministry.
Thursday’s numbers top Japan’s previous record reported one week ago, when 3,030 new cases were reported on December 12.
The ministry also reported 44 new virus-related fatalities for Thursday, bringing the country’s death toll to 2,796.
Japan’s total confirmed cases nationwide stands at 190,950.
Winter surge: Japan is seeing a rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations since the start of November, as cold winter temperatures set in. Large urban centers like the capital Tokyo are reporting their highest level of infections.
Tokyo reported 822 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, marking the highest single-day rise since the start of the pandemic, the Tokyo metropolitan government announced.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike warned the city could reach 1,000 new cases a day if the trend continues and issued a special alert for the new year holidays.
“We must have more sense of crisis,” she said at a news conference late Thursday. The same day, the city raised its alert level to “Level 4” — the highest of the four-tier category.