Army culinary specialist Kimyatte Small wears a mask while preparing a meal at Camp Zama, Japan, Feb. 3, 2022. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
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TOKYO – Japan’s capital city ended the working week with another 10,517 people testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Friday’s count was the lowest daily tally since 9,632 cases on Monday and 608 less than one week prior, according to metropolitan government data.
Japan on Thursday confirmed another 70,268 new infections and 258 deaths related to COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Japan averaged nearly 65,000 new cases per day between Sunday and Thursday, according to the center. Over the previous five days, new cases averaged nearly 70,000 per day.
U.S. Forces Japan on Thursday evening reported another 99 people tested positive at 13 U.S. installations in the previous 24 hours. USFJ last reported 88 new cases Wednesday.
Kadena Air Base on Okinawa topped the Thursday update with 46 new infections. The base website reported 98 active cases as of Friday.
Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, where USFJ is headquartered, accounted for four new cases.
Separately, Yokota reported 18 people tested positive for COVID-19 between Tuesday and Thursday, according to an update on the base website Friday.
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, near Hiroshima, reported 11 new cases. The remaining 10 installations accounted for 38 new cases, according to USFJ.
Okinawa prefecture reported 849 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, 147 fewer than the previous day, according to the prefectural Department of Public Health and Medical Care. Another 20 people in the U.S. military community also tested positive Friday, according to the department.
Stars and Stripes reporter Mari Higa contributed to this report.
