With coronavirus infections rising again nationwide, a panel of experts advising the health ministry has warned that the peak of what has the makings of Japan's eighth wave is likely to match or exceed that of the record-setting seventh.
The total number of new cases across the nation stood at 338 per 100,000 people in the week through Tuesday, up 40% from a week before. But there are stark regional differences in trends, with Hokkaido and some prefectures in the northeast such as Miyagi and Fukushima showing rapid increases, according to data presented to a weekly coronavirus advisory board meeting on Wednesday.
In Hokkaido, the seven-day total through Tuesday was 850 per 100,000 people, more than double the national average and nearly three times the level in Tokyo, which stood at 303. The northernmost prefecture logged 9,545 new cases Wednesday, a record high, before seeing the daily tally dip to 8,457 on Thursday.
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