7 Japanese Prefectures at Worst Level of Coronavirus Spread

Tokyo, Dec. 25 (Jiji Press)--Seven of Japan's 47 prefectures were at the worst level on the country's four-tier scale for gauging the degree of the spread of the novel coronavirus as of Wednesday, the health ministry said Friday.

The seven prefectures saw their occupancy rates for hospital beds for coronavirus patients surpass 50 pct, a situation recognized as being in Stage 4, which indicates that infections are spreading explosively.

The seven are Hokkaido, Gunma, Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka, Hyogo and Kochi.

The number of prefectures with a hospital bed occupancy rate of 20 pct or more, or in Stage 3, the second-worst level indicating a rapid increase of infections, grew by one from a week before to 29.

The bed occupancy rate was highest in Osaka, at 63.8 pct, up 3.5 percentage points, followed by Hyogo, at 61.9 pct, down 1.7 points, and Gunma, at 61.8 pct, up 11.9 points.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]