The number of new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo surged to a record high of 224 on Thursday, the highest since the virus outbreak hit the Japanese capital, according to the officials.
The new figure beats the previous record of 206 cases confirmed in Tokyo, a city of 14 million, on April 17.
Tokyo’s ongoing virus resurgence has seen many of those testing positive in their 20s and 30s, Tokyo metropolitan government officials said.
In May, at a press conference, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike urged continue cooperation from the citizens and said that everything depended on the will and behavior of people as long as no vaccines were available.
Japan lifted a nationwide state of emergency on May 25 over the coronavirus gradually reopening the world’s third-largest economy as government officials warned caution was still necessary to prevent another wave.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had warned that people would have to adapt to a “new normal” and continue to avoid the “three Cs” — closed spaces, crowded places and close contact.
Tokyo metropolitan government has also asked residents to refrain from making unnecessary trips across prefectural borders.
However, the government said that reissuing a state of emergency in the capital, or reissuing tighter restrictions on people’s movements and business operations was not being considered at the moment.
Japan has so far registered 20,174 COVID-19 cases, with 980 deaths.