TOKYO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan's health ministry and local governments said Wednesday that 41 new COVID-19 infections were confirmed in Tokyo, while 66 new cases were confirmed by 12 other local authorities, bringing the total number of people infected in Japan to 1,277 as of 8:00 p.m. local time here.
The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 54 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
Of the 1,277 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan, the majority are in Japan's capital city of Tokyo, which has confirmed 212 cases, followed by Hokkaido with 167, Aichi Prefecture has 148 cases, while Osaka Prefecture has confirmed 142 COVID-19 infections, according to the latest statistics from health ministry and local authorities.
The health ministry said there are currently a total of 65 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units for medical treatment.
The ministry also said that a total of 891 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.
