There were a record 1,294 seriously ill COVID-19 patients nationwide on Friday, according to a preliminary report by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
The latest figure increased by six from Thursday, surpassing Wednesday's record of 1,293.
The Okinawa prefectural government on Friday confirmed a record 207 new coronavirus cases. The central government will issue a state of emergency for the prefecture starting May 23.
In Hokkaido, the single-day figure hit a record 727 cases, exceeding the previous record of 712 set on May 13. Even though the prefecture has been under a state of emergency since Sunday, there is no sign that the spread of infections is slowing.
Tokyo logged 649 new cases on Friday, down by 205 from the previous Friday, the metropolitan government said.
It was the eighth straight day that the daily figure was lower than the same day from the previous week. The number of severely ill patients in Tokyo was 65, down by four compared to the previous day.
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