Japan's western prefecture of Osaka is set to raise its coronavirus alert to the highest of three levels, officials familiar with the plan said Tuesday, as the area's daily infection count hit a record 25,762 amid a fresh wave of COVID-19.
The alert level will be raised to red from yellow, possibly on Wednesday, as Osaka's hospital bed occupancy rate has climbed to 49.6 percent. The prefectural government had said it would raise the level if the rate reached 50 percent.
On Tuesday, the nationwide daily count totaled 196,500, the second-highest, after hitting a record 200,975 late last week.
Record daily numbers of COVID-19 were reported in 14 of Japan's 47 prefectures, with the confirmation of 115 more deaths, exceeding 100 for the first time since late March.
Tokyo logged 31,593 new cases, up by about 20,000 from a week ago. The metropolitan government already raised the capital's COVID-19 alert to the highest of four levels on July 14.
Japan has not imposed restrictions on people's movement, although it has grappled with the record-setting seventh wave of infections driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
But Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has said the prefecture will likely restrict the movements of elderly people when the alert is raised to the highest level, given that they are at increased risk of developing severe symptoms when infected with the virus.
Still, he has said the prefectural government will not ask restaurants and bars to shorten their business hours as it did before.
On Tuesday, the local government said 12 more people in their 30s to 90s died of COVID-19.
