Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike confirmed the detection of 124 additional cases of the novel coronavirus Friday, following a weeklong surge made worse by a growing number of infections among young people that officials have traced to host and hostess bars, maid cafes and other nightlife destinations.
“It’s clear there needs to be a renewed sense of urgency in Tokyo,” Koike said in a news conference Friday, during which she urged residents to practice further caution but stopped short of reimposing business closure requests or introducing new virus countermeasures.
The most recent uptick in infections began June 24 when the capital reported 55 new cases. Since then, the city has recorded more than 680 cases in the span of 10 days, bringing the capital’s total past 6,500.