HONG KONG, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Asia-Pacific countries kept on high alert on Wednesday as Japan reported 2,189 new cases, renewing a record number of daily infections and exceeding the 2,000-mark for the first time, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities.
The latest rise in cases brought the nation's total cases to 123,532, not including those connected to the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo earlier in the year.
The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 1,945, with 12 new fatalities announced Wednesday. The death toll includes 13 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
India's total tally reached 8,912,907 as 38,617 new cases were registered across the country in the past 24 hours, said the latest data released by the federal health ministry.
With 449 deaths since Tuesday morning, the total death toll in the country due to the pandemic mounted to 130,519, added the ministry's data.
Bangladesh reported 2,111 new COVID-19 cases and 21 new deaths on Wednesday, making the tally at 438,795 and the death toll at 6,275, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.
The total number of recovered patients in the country stood at 354,788 including 1,893 new recoveries on Wednesday, said the DGHS.
The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported 1,383 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number in the country to 412,097.
The DOH said 143 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 374,666, and the death toll climbed to 7,957 with 95 new deaths.
Malaysia reported 660 new infections, the health ministry said, bringing the national total to 50,390.
Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press briefing that four of the new cases are imported and with the remainder being local transmissions.
Four more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 322.
South Korea reported 313 more cases as of midnight Tuesday local time compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 29,311.
Of the new cases, 91 were Seoul residents and 81 were people residing in Gyeonggi province.
Two more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 496. The total fatality rate stood at 1.69 percent.
Afghanistan reported 243 newly confirmed cases after health authorities conducted 1,201 tests within a day, bringing the number of total cases to 43,924, the country's Ministry of Public Health said.
Up to 1,645 deaths have been recorded, an increase of seven within the past 24 hours. Enditem
