Osaka Pref. logs record 719 new virus cases amid tougher steps in place

Osaka confirmed on Tuesday a single-day record of 719 cases of the novel coronavirus, even as the western Japan prefecture has toughened measures in an attempt to stem a sharp rebound in infections.The local government is set to declare a state of medical emergency on Wednesday as the occupancy rate of hospital beds in the prefecture has been nearing 70 percent, with the number of COVID-19 patients in serious condition increasing rapidly."If this continues, we will be on the verge of a medical collapse," Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters Tuesday.While daily infection figures for …READ FULL ARTICLE