TOKYO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo confirmed five new COVID-19 infection cases on Wednesday, logging the lowest daily number for this year, with 77 new cases reported nationwide as of 6:00 p.m. local time, government data showed.
The figure of daily infection cases in the capital averaged 14.3 in the week through Wednesday, down from 21.1 the preceding week.
The number of patients with severe symptoms totaled eight, counted under the metropolitan government's criteria, unchanged from the previous day. No deaths were reported.
The health ministry said Wednesday that the number of seriously ill patients declined by two to 58 from the previous day.
The number of COVID-19 infection cases has retained under 30 cases for 13 consecutive days, dropping sharply after the inoculation program were expended to the general population, with rate of finishing the full vaccination having exceeded 75 percent as of Nov. 24, according to the government data.
Inoculation program for the COVID-19 booster shots will start as early as December, the government has said, and those who want to get the booster shot need to wait for at least eight months after they received their second doses.
The health ministry also plans to expand the vaccination program to children under 12 years old, which is possibly to start in February 2022.
On Tuesday, a total of 113 people newly tested positive for the COVID-19 in Japan and two deaths were reported among infected patients.
Elsewhere in Japan, the number of new cases stood at 14 in Hokkaido, 13 in Osaka Prefecture and 12 each in the prefectures of Aichi and Fukuoka. Enditem
