TOKYO, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 64 to reach 17,881, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Saturday.
The number excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 967 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including 13 from the cruise ship.
In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by 39 to reach 5,748, including 24 people who had close contact with confirmed cases.
Meanwhile, Osaka Prefecture has recorded 1,806 infections, followed by Kanagawa Prefecture with 1,431 infections, Hokkaido 1,195 cases, Saitama 1,028, Chiba 921, while Fukuoka Prefecture has recorded 838 cases of COVID-19, according to the latest figures on Saturday.
The health ministry said there are currently a total of 62 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators or in intensive care units.
The ministry also said that in total, 16,735 people, including 658 from the cruise ship, have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved. Enditem
