Tokyo reported 5,773 new coronavirus cases тАФ a new record high тАФ on Friday, up from 4,515 a week before, with the number of severely ill COVID-19 patients also hitting a record high of 227.
The seven-day average of new infections in the capital came to 4155.7, up from 3820.4 a week before, according to the metropolitan government. Tokyo also reported seven deaths linked to the virus.
A government coronavirus panel on Thursday proposed that foot traffic in Tokyo be halved from the level before the capital went into the current COVID-19 state of emergency in early July.
The panel of experts also said that intensive measures should be taken over the next two weeks following the explosive growth in infections.
Elsewhere, Gunma Prefecture saw 252 cases, Mie Prefecture reported 137 cases and Niigata Prefecture logged 129 cases, all record highs. Okinawa Prefecture saw 721 cases and Hyogo Prefecture reported 680 cases, while Aichi Prefecture confirmed 638 cases and Hokkaido logged 454 cases.
Severe COVID-19 cases in the country had hit a record 1,478 as of Thursday, rising 74 from the day before and almost quadrupling from a month before, the health ministry said Friday.
New COVID-19 deaths totaled 24.
Japan newly confirmed 18,889 COVID-19 cases Thursday, setting a single-day record high for the second consecutive day and topping 18,000 for the first time.
Record-high daily figures were logged in 20 of JapanтАЩs 47 prefectures, including Saitama at 1,528, Osaka at 1,654 and Fukuoka at 1,040.
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