Overview

• The Ministry of Health said the national average surpassed the 1.0-per-clinic trigger based on reports from about 3,000 sentinel facilities.
• This marks the second-earliest seasonal start in the past 20 years, with 2009 earlier when excluding 2023’s atypical year-round activity.
• Okinawa recorded the highest rate at 8.98 patients per clinic, followed by Tokyo at 1.96, Kagoshima at 1.68, and Fukuoka at 1.55.
• Tottori reported the lowest rate at 0.03 patients per clinic, with Akita, Iwate, and Tokushima also remaining low.
• The health ministry urged handwashing, mask use, and seasonal vaccination to limit spread, noting the start is roughly a month earlier than last year.