Japan's daily COVID cases top 47,000, new record for 4th straight day

TOKYO. KAZINFORM Japan's confirmed daily coronavirus cases on Friday topped 47,000, setting a new record for the fourth day in a row as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country.

Tokyo confirmed 9,699 daily coronavirus cases Friday, eclipsing the previous record high of 8,638 logged the previous day, while the Osaka prefectural government said it also hit a fresh high of 6,254, Kyodo reports.

As the rapid spread of infections raises concern about the strain on the medical system, a quasi-state of emergency was widened to Tokyo and 12 other prefectures for three weeks beginning Friday, allowing their governors to ask restaurants and bars to close early and stop or limit the serving of alcohol.

Many areas have been struggling with what has become the country's «sixth wave» of infections. Japan's cumulative total of COVID infections exceeded 2 million on Thursday.