Japan is seeing a rebound in COVID-19 cases across the country, government data showed Saturday, as experts caution that another resurgence of infections may be around the corner.
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in a week through Friday increased in 44 of the country's 47 prefectures, according to the government data, less than two weeks after Japan completely lifted quasi-emergency measures entailing business restrictions and other curbs.
Experts on a government panel monitoring pandemic situations say new daily cases had been gradually declining for more than a month after the government began implementing quasi-emergency measures in January to contain a sixth wave of infections, but recent rises need to be carefully monitored given a notable increase in infections among teens.
On Saturday, 48,825 new COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide, up about 1,500 from a week earlier, apparently as the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron strain spreads.
The number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms stood at 518, down 15 from Friday.
Other countries are also seeing a rise in coronavirus cases as the Omicron subvariant began to become a dominant COVID-19 strain at a time when they relaxed antivirus measures.
Japan ended quasi-emergency measures on March 21 in Tokyo and some other areas, completely eliminating such curbs after implementing them in as many as 36 prefectures at one point.
