Osaka to raise COVID-19 alert to highest level amid record cases

The alert level will be raised to red from yellow, the second highest, possibly on Wednesday as the prefecture's hospital bed occupancy rate has climbed to 49.6 percent.

The prefectural government had said it would raise the level if the rate reached 50 percent.

Meanwhile, Tokyo logged 31,593 new cases on Tuesday, up about 20,000 from a week ago. The metropolitan government already raised the capital's COVID-19 alert to the highest of four levels on July 14.

Japan has not imposed restrictions on people's movement, although it has been grappling with the record-setting seventh wave of infections driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 Omicron subvariant.

But Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has said the prefecture will likely restrict movements of elderly people when the alert is raised to the highest level, given that they are at high risk of developing severe symptoms when infected with the virus.

Still, he has said the prefectural government will not ask restaurants and bars to shorten their business hours as it did before.

On Tuesday, the local government said 12 more people in their 30s to 90s died of COVID-19.

Photo: english.kyodonews.net