All national papers wrote that a total of more than 100,000 novel coronavirus cases had been confirmed across Japan and some 1,750 people had died of the disease as of yesterday. One third of all the cases were reported in Tokyo. The mortality rate in the first wave of the virus in the spring was 5.2%, while the corresponding figure in the second wave that began in July was 1.1%. The percentage of patients with serious symptoms has also declined from 9.8% to 1.62%. The virus has been spreading largely among young people in the current wave, with 45% of COVID-19 patients being in their 20s or 30s. The number of new cases is also on the rise in rural areas, including Hokkaido, Miyagi, and Okayama. For the first time in two months, more than 800 people tested positive nationwide yesterday. The average number of cases per week was 506 in September, while that in October through Wednesday was 624. According to the Health Ministry, cluster infections had occurred in a total of 1,751 locations across the country as of Oct. 26. One-fourth of the clusters were at nightlife establishments and restaurants, followed by workplaces, nursing homes, and hospitals.