In less than a day, 63 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were registered in Japan, the highest daily number to date, bringing the total count to 773, the NHK reported, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
According to the broadcaster, the Hokkaido prefecture has recorded 144 cases, followed by the Aichi prefecture with 121, Osaka with 102, and Tokyo with 87.
Additionally, 697 people from the cruise ship Diamond Princess have contracted the disease. Fourteen others were among those who returned from China's Hubei Province on chartered flights.
The death toll increased by one to 29 people, seven of whom are passengers on the ship.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation declared the spread of COVID-19 a pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 156,000 in almost 140 countries and territories, with over 5,800 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.