Tokyo, Jan 1 (IANS): Facing the eighth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan on Sunday reported the number of coronavirus-related deaths at 247.

The country reported 86,924 new coronavirus cases, down 20,541 from Saturday, reports Japan Today.

Tokyo, the capital, reported 9,186 new cases, down 2,003 from Saturday.

The number of infected people hospitalised with severe symptoms in Tokyo was 45 while the nationwide figure was 592, up four from Saturday, according to health officials.

The number of people dying from Covid-19 over the last three months in Japan is nearly 16 times higher than during the same period in 2021.

According to the country's national daily The Mainichi, 2022's numbers are on a different scale compared to the 2021.

"Taking a wider look at the most recent three-month period from October 1 to December 29, there were 744 deaths during that time frame in 2021. In 2022, the figure is 11,853," the report mentioned.