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TOKYO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Japan's health ministry and local governments said Tuesday the total number of people infected with COVID-19 in Japan stood at 1,141 as of 11:00 a.m. local time here.

The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 52 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 1,141 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan, the majority are in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 162 cases, followed by Tokyo with 154 and Aichi Prefecture with 145 cases, while Osaka Prefecture has confirmed 134 COVID-19 infections, according to the latest statistics from health ministry and local authorities.

The health ministry said there are currently a total of 64 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 872 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.