Japan's health ministry says its weekly survey shows coronavirus infections are edging up across the country.

The ministry says about 5,000 medical institutions in Japan reported 27,614 new cases for the seven-day period through June 18.

The figure is up 2,451 from the week before, and is the eleventh straight week-on-week increase.

The ministry also says the average number of COVID-19 patients per medical institution was 5.6, which was 1.1 times that for the previous week.

Okinawa Prefecture had the highest number of 28.74 patients, followed by Kagoshima with 9.6, Chiba with7.57, Aichi with 7.22 and Saitama with 7.02.

The ministry says cases were up in 32 of Japan's 47 prefectures.

Ministry officials say the number of coronavirus infections have continued to rise gradually across the country.

The officials add that they are closely monitoring the situation in Okinawa where infection levels appear to be nearing those seen at the peak of the eighth wave of the infections in January of this year.

Almost all COVID restrictions in Japan were lifted in early May.