Surging coronavirus cases in Tokyo as Olympics begin
Coronavirus (CoV). virus of the family Coronaviridae and of the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae. It is a pathogen of respiratory syndromes. View from a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image. Viral diameter 80nm to 100nm. (CAVALLINI JAMES/BSIP/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
TOKYO - The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 1,359 daily coronavirus cases Friday amid public concern that infections could hit record highs during the Olympics, set to open in the capital later in the day.
The latest figure represents an increase of 88 from Friday last week, bringing the seven-day rolling average of cases to 1,386 per day, up 46.5 percent from the previous week. Tokyo is currently under a fourth COVID-19 state of emergency until Aug. 22.
The Olympics are widely feared to become a superspreader event with particular concern about the transmission of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.
Health experts advising the metropolitan government have warned of a possible "critical" coronavirus situation in Tokyo if the virus continues to spread at the current pace.
They estimated that daily infections in the capital could hit a record of around 2,600 in early August during the Olympics, which will close on Aug. 8.
Tokyo marked its current record of 2,520 daily infections on Jan. 7.
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