Japan's death toll from the novel coronavirus topped 3,000 yesterday, on Tuesday amid fears that a recent spike in infections could further squeeze the country's health care system, Kyodo reported. The number of nationwide deaths in December, exceeding 800, is already more than double the 382 registered in the previous month. A single-day record of 53 deaths was reported last week. Japan's cumulative infections surpassed 200,000 on Monday. The number of deaths reported on a daily basis fell below 10 on some days in November but sharply increased from the end of the month, with over 40 deaths recorded on a number of days in December. Tokyo and seven prefectures -- Hokkaido, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka and Hyogo -- all with large populations, accounted for around 80 percent of the reported deaths in December as of Monday. A rise in the number of severe cases among the older population is a major cause for concern. The rate of severe cases compared with individuals in their 30s was 25 times higher for people in their 60s, 47 times higher for those in their 70s and 71 times higher among those in their 80s, according to the health ministry.
