Japan reports 2,905 new COVID-19 cases, 221,338 in total

The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 2,905 to 221,338 as of Sunday evening, according to latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities.

The figure excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo earlier in the year.

The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 3,277, with 30 new fatalities reported Sunday. The death toll includes 13 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The health ministry also said there are currently 659 patients considered severely ill being assisted with ventilators or treated in intensive care units. The tally hit a fresh record-high since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in Japan.

In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, 708 new cases were reported on Sunday, down from a record 949 cases the previous day, with the cumulative total reaching 56,559, the highest among the country's 47 prefectures.

The Japanese government said on Saturday that the country will halt new entry of nonresident foreign nationals from around the world from Monday through late January in response to the new and highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus reported overseas.

However, business people and students from countries and regions including China, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea, which have special schemes to ease travel restrictions with Japan, will not be affected by the policy.