Japan marks record 415 COVID-19 deaths -health ministry

A part of a sign with safety measures is seen reflected in a window, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo
A part of a sign with safety measures is seen reflected in a window, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday recorded 415 COVID-19 deaths, the highest-ever count for a single day, health ministry data showed.

The country counted 216,219 newly confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, up 4% from a week earlier, the data also showed, approaching the record high of some 260,000 a day in August.

In the past seven days, Japan had the world's largest confirmed COVID-19 infections and the second-most deaths after the United States, according to a tally by the World Health Organization.

Reporting by Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran Kim

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