Japan is entering its eighth wave of COVID-19 infections, the country's top coronavirus adviser Shigeru Omi said Thursday, as the public begins preparing for next month's year-end revelries.
About 78,300 new infections were confirmed nationwide the same day, up more than 10,000 compared to a week ago. Tokyo reported 7,969 daily cases, with Hokkaido logging 8,457 and Kanagawa Prefecture 5,190.
According to health ministry data, Hokkaido, the northernmost main island, saw the highest rise among the 47 prefectures with 850 cases per 100,000 people in the most recent week. It was followed by 710 cases in Yamagata Prefecture, 688 in Nagano Prefecture and 557 in Miyagi Prefecture.
In areas with colder weather, infections could spread faster due to the difficulty in implementing ventilation.
On Wednesday, the ministry's experts panel warned that the latest wave of infections might match or exceed the previous wave's peak of more than 260,000 daily cases seen in August.
