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

Japan's western prefecture of Osaka is set to raise its coronavirus alert to the highest of three levels, officials familiar with the plan said Tuesday, as the area's daily infection count hit a record 25,762 amid a fresh wave of COVID-19.The alert level will be raised to red from yellow, possibly on Wednesday, as Osaka'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.On Tuesday, the nationwide daily count totaled 196,500, the second-highest, after hitting a record 200,975 late last week.Re…READ FULL ARTICLE