Infections In Japan Surpass 12,000
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan stood at 12,023 on Thursday.
The tally includes people tested at airport quarantine stations, health ministry officials, quarantine officers and individuals who returned to Japan from China on government-chartered planes.
The addition of 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship brings the total to 12,735.
The death toll in Japan has risen to 312, including 13 from the cruise ship.
Tokyo tops the list of prefectures with 3,439 infections, followed by Osaka with 1,380, Kanagawa with 836, Chiba with 746, Saitama with 726, Hyogo with 560 and Fukuoka with 563.
Health ministry officials say 245 people remained in serious condition as of Wednesday, including four from the cruise ship, while 2,069 had recovered and left hospital.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide told reporters on Thursday that the decision on whether to extend the state of emergency beyond May 6 will be made after consulting experts.
He noted that the situation is changing constantly, and stressed the government must make sure that its decision will not trigger confusion.
Suga reiterated the government's appeal for people to refrain from travel during the upcoming spring holidays and to try to reduce face-to-face contact by 80 percent.
