Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, speaks at a news conference on June 30. Since health protocols were eased, Kai Ichino Novel Coronaviruses have continued to increase around Japan, a resurgence that caused the Tokyo metropolitan government to raise its alert level for the spread of the disease.
A panel of experts advising the health ministry said at a meeting on June 30 that the BA. The 5 subvariant of the Omicron variant has replaced existing strains and is possibly accelerating the infections. The Panel Chairs the National Institute of Infectious Diseases NIID, Takaji Wakita, said 5 will become mainstream in Japan.
The number of new COVID 19 cases nationwide was 23,447 as of June 30 at 7: 30 p.m., up 6,773 from the previous Thursday and marking the 10th consecutive day of week-on-week increases.
Over the week until June 29 the daily average of newly infected people in Japan was 1.17 times the previous week's figure.
Tokyo led the nation with 3,621 new COVID 19 cases on June 30, 1.5 times more than the previous Thursday. It was the 13th week-on- week rise in the capital.
The metropolitan government raised its alert on its 4 - scale system to the second highest level of infection, indicating that the infections are spreading. The new COVID 19 cases have been increased in 29 prefectures over the week until June 29 in urban areas and in the Kyushu region.
The ministry's advisory panel said the major causes of the resurgence include immune compromise, reflecting the time since people received their last vaccine shots.
Social activities have become more active, according to experts.
The government has relaxed anti-viruses precautions at ports of entry and eased its advisories on mask wear. Business hours and services in entertainment districts are returning to normal.
Attendees of a Tokyo metropolitan government meeting about COVID 19 trends on June 30 said the daily average of newly infected people in the capital was 2,337, or 138 percent of the average for the previous week.
It was the second consecutive increase.
Norio Ohmagari of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine said at a news conference that the average daily in Tokyo could be 3,000 next week and 5,000 the following week.