A total of 41 people in at least 20 prefectures were found to be infected with the novel coronavirus between July 1-14 when tested in their hometown after returning from either business or private trips to Tokyo, according to a nationwide Yomiuri Shimbun survey.
The survey was conducted on 43 prefectures, excluding Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures. The people identified in the survey represented 4.5% of all those infected in the 43 prefectures during the same period.
The highest number of 10 was reported in Ibaraki Prefecture, with cases also identified in prefectures including Hokkaido, Aichi, Shimane and Kagoshima. The increase is believed to stem from more people taking part in events and gatherings in Tokyo after a ban on travel across prefectural borders was lifted on June 19.
In the first week after the lifting of the ban, between June 19-25, three people in total were found to be infected in Ibaraki and Fukuoka prefectures. However, the figure has shot up since July, when the daily number of infected people in Tokyo exceeded 100. Between July 8-14, it rose to about nine times the June 19-25 level, reaching a total of 28 people in 13 prefectures.
At the request of people who have been infected, some local governments have not disclosed details such as the route of infection, and the actual number of cases is believed to be even higher than reflected in the survey.
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