Coronavirus infections spike in Tokyo, hits worst level on gov't scale ahead of Olympics
TOKYO - The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday reported 714 new daily coronavirus cases, reflecting a sharp rebound in the 10 days since the capital exited a state of emergency and shifted to quasi-emergency measures.
Tokyo's seven-day rolling average of infections per day came to 508.4, topping the 500 mark and hitting Stage 4, the worst level on the government's four-point scale.
The resurgence has fanned concern that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga may declare another state of emergency in Tokyo less than a month before the Olympics. It could also reignite public debate on whether the event should take place with or without spectators.
The metropolitan government has said it will request eateries to stop serving alcohol immediately if situations equivalent to Stage 4 are in sight.
Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app!
"We will closely monitor the situation and take necessary measures in a timely manner," Suga said Wednesday at a ministerial meeting on COVID-19.
At a separate meeting of an expert panel of the health ministry, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said the Delta coronavirus variant, first detected in India, accounted for an estimated 30 percent of infections in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures at the end of June.
The institute warned the figure could exceed 50 percent in mid-July, just before the Tokyo Olympics open on July 23.
Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters
Elderly people accounted for the lowest percentage of infections since last fall, it said, suggesting the effectiveness of vaccination.
Norihisa Tamura, minister of health, labor and welfare, has called for a discussion on how to address rising bed occupancy rates at hospitals in the capital.
Meanwhile, Suga said new applications for COVID-19 vaccine doses to be administered at workplaces and universities would remain suspended indefinitely, with the government continuing to process applications already received.
Tokyo logged 12,979 new infections in June. While cases fell in the first half of the month when the state of emergency was in place, they began to rebound quickly after measures were eased on June 21.
WATCH FOX 5 NEWS: