The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 161 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the capital to 3,733.

Friday's figure is 27 higher than Thursday's. Tokyo has reported the highest number of infections of any prefecture in the nation. The capital's single-day high so far is 201, reported on April 17.

Ahead of the country's Golden Week holidays, Gov. Yuriko Koike has requested that residents step up social distancing efforts over the next two weeks and also limit the frequency of grocery shopping to every three days as part of steps to prevent supermarkets from becoming too crowded amid the outbreak.