China News Service, May 19. According to a report by the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK), on the 19th, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan released statistics stating that the number of severely ill people with the new crown in the country has reached 1,293, a record high since the outbreak.
At the same time, due to the worsening of the epidemic, Okinawa Prefecture has also decided to request a state of emergency from the central government.
Data map: Japan under the epidemic.
According to reports, data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare showed that the number of severely ill patients on the 19th increased by 58 from the 18th.
According to NHK statistics, as of 23:59 on the 18th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Japan has exceeded 693,000, with 11,862 deaths.
Currently, nine prefectures and counties including Tokyo, Osaka and Hokkaido are in a state of emergency.
As the epidemic continues to spread, Okinawa Prefecture has also decided to request the central government to join the scope of emergency.
On the 19th, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture Tamaki Dani stated that the number of newly diagnosed people in Okinawa that day is estimated to exceed 200, a significant increase from the 168 on the 18th.
In response, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said that the Minister of Economic Regeneration Yasunori Nishimura had met with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki Dani on the 18th, and the two sides reached an agreement on close cooperation in epidemic prevention in the future.
Kato added that the central government will "combine the infection situation with the mobile response" on specific epidemic prevention issues with Okinawa Prefecture.