Tokyo confirmed 4,515 new COVID-19 cases Friday, after topping the 5,000 mark for the first time the previous day, as a resurgence of the virus placed strain on the nation’s medical system.
Tokyo, hosting the Olympics while under its fourth state of emergency amid the pandemic, reported a record figure of 5,042 new cases on Thursday.
The seven-day average of new infections in the capital came to 3,820.4 on Friday, compared with 2,501.4 a week before, according to the metropolitan government. The number of people severely ill with the coronavirus under the metropolitan government’s criteria climbed by six from the previous day to 141.
A panel of experts advising the metropolitan government has warned that the situation could deteriorate further.
They forecast that the capital’s seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases could surge to around 10,900 per day as of Aug. 18 if the current pace of increase continues.
In an attempt to curb the rising infections, Japan on Thursday expanded quasi-emergency restrictions to eight more prefectures — Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Shizuoka, Aichi, Shiga, and Kumamoto.
“Infections are spreading at an unprecedented level in the metropolitan area and elsewhere,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said after making the decision on Thursday.
“With the increase of those infected, the number of patients in serious condition is also on the rise,” Suga said, while noting the delta variant now accounts for about 90% of coronavirus cases in Tokyo and the proportion is high in many other locations.
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