Daily cases in Japan remain at record high level In Japan, coronavirus cases continue to climb - at the end of a three-week period dubbed crucial to containment efforts.
Officials say the national tally for Wednesday is around 3,000 - making it the second worst day on record.
More than 188,000 people have now tested positive in Japan.
A record 618 are in serious condition across the country.
Tokyo saw more new cases than ever before: 678. Total infections in the capital have surpassed 48,000.
Tokyo opened a new facility dedicated to COVID-19 patients on Wednesday that will focus on non-serious cases.
It specializes in treating patients who can t speak Japanese, and the elderly. a population that s recently seen a surge in cases. The facility has 100 beds.