TOKYO, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Japan's health ministry and local governments said Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 18 to stand at a total of 585 in Japan as of 6:00 p.m. local time here.
The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 31, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
Of the 585 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan, not including those related to the Diamond Princess, the majority are in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 118 cases and previously declared a state of emergency over the situation.
Aichi Prefecture, meanwhile, has 99 confirmed cases, Osaka 73, Tokyo 67, Kanagawa 44 and Hyogo Prefecture has confirmed 31 COVID-19 infections, according to the latest statistics from health ministry and local authorities.
The health ministry said there are currently 31 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units for medical treatment.
The ministry also said that a total of 427 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.
