The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 45, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
Of the 1,055 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the majority are in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 159 cases, followed by Aichi Prefecture with 141 confirmed cases, Tokyo has 136, Osaka 125, Hyogo 107 and Kanagawa Prefecture has confirmed 72 COVID-19 infections, according to the latest statistics from health ministry and local authorities.
The health ministry said there are currently a total of 61 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units for medical treatment.
The ministry said, meanwhile, that a total of 766 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.