COVID-19 cases in Japan exceed 5,000

Japan's health ministry and local governments said Thursday the number of COVID-19 infections nationwide had risen to 5,002 cases as of 2:00 p.m. local time here, two days after a state of emergency was declared to contain the fast spread of COVID-19 infections across the country.

The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 116 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.

Of the 5,002 confirmed COVID-19 infections in Japan, the majority is still in Japan's capital city of Tokyo, which has confirmed 1,338 cases.

Osaka Prefecture recorded 524 COVID-19 cases, Kanagawa Prefecture 360, Chiba Prefecture 324, Aichi Prefecture 280 and 250 cases have been recorded in Saitama Prefecture, the figures showed.

The health ministry also said there are currently a total of 107 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units for medical treatment.

The ministry added that in total, 1,270 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved, according to the latest figures.