Japan passes 10,000 Covid-19 cases
Published on: Saturday, April 18, 2020
By: AP
Visitors walk through Nakamise Alley at Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2020. (Photo: AP)
TOKYO: Japan reported 556 new cases on Saturday, pushing its total to over 10,000.
Nearly one-third of the cases come from Tokyo, where the daily surge has overburdened hospitals, triggering fears that the medical system will collapse.
ADVERTISEMENT
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week expanded his April 7 state of emergency in Tokyo and six urban prefectures to all of Japan.
In a news conference Friday, Abe expressed concern that people were not observing social distancing.
He announced a 100,000-yen ($930) cash handout to each resident as an incentive to stay home.
Meanwhile South Korea reported 18 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, its lowest daily jump since Feb. 20, continuing a downward trend.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
