Number of serious cases hits record high in Japan

Japan on Tuesday registered another record high number of severe coronavirus cases as more than 1,200 patients are now using ventilators or receiving treatment at intensive care units across Japan.

This comes as a state of emergency was declared in the capital Tokyo, Osaka, and seven other prefectures, NHK World reported.

According to the Japanese broadcaster, citizens are being asked to stay home as much as possible until the end of this month.

In the wake of rising cases, Japan is set to impose stricter restrictions for those who have been in Bangladesh, Maldives, and Sri Lanka in the 14 days before arrival to prevent a new COVID variant first found in India, Kyodo News reported.

The latest steps will be effective in stages from Thursday.

Amid struggles to cope up with the pandemic, Japan's economy in fiscal 2020 shrank a real 4.6 percent from the previous year, the sharpest annual contraction on record, as the coronavirus dealt a debilitating blow to consumption and exports.

According to the government data, the previous record contraction was 3.6 percent shrinkage in fiscal 2008 logged due to the global financial crisis.

As many as 5,000 more new infections were reported on Tuesday.

( With inputs from ANI )

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