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TOKYO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Japan's health ministry and local governments said Monday the total number of people infected with the COVID-19 virus stood at 1,102 as of 10:30 a.m. local time here.

The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 49 people, 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 1,102 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan, the majority are in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 162 cases, followed by Aichi Prefecture with 143 confirmed cases, Tokyo has 138, Osaka 131, and Hyogo Prefecture has confirmed 111 COVID-19 infections, according to the latest statistics from health ministry and local authorities.

The health ministry said there are currently a total of 61 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 766 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.