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Bloomberg
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told residents to avoid unnecessary trips outdoors as much as possible during a forthcoming four-day weekend as the city’s running total topped 10,000 and new cases nationwide were reported to hit a new daily record.
Japan’s capital had another 238 cases on Wednesday, as the country heads into a long weekend that was originally scheduled to celebrate the start of the now-postponed Tokyo Olympic Games.
“This long weekend is going to be critical in preventing further spread of the virus,†Koike said in a briefing.
At least 747 new cases
were confirmed nationwide on Wednesday, broadcaster NHK reported, citing announcements by local authorities. The previous daily record was 720 cases on April 11, NHK said.
Hospitalisations in Tokyo have jumped almost five-fold over the past month, though authorities have stressed the medical system is not under stress. Just 14 of those hospitalised are listed as serious cases, in an ICU or on a ventilator, and the city has had only two deaths in the past month. The city had over 3,800 cases so far this month, more than the previous peak in April when the city entered its state of emergency.