Tokyo confirmed 950 COVID-19 infections on Saturday — over 230 more than a week ago — as a spike in new cases continues to hit the capital.
The daily tally on Saturday in Tokyo far exceeded last week's total of 716, rising week-on-week for the 21st consecutive day.
New infections in the capital, which will again come under a state of emergency on Monday, averaged 720.1 per day leading up to Saturday, compared with 563.1 the previous week.
The number of people severely ill with COVID-19 in Tokyo under the metropolitan government’s criteria stood at 63, up one from Friday. The capital also reported five deaths.
Neighboring Chiba Prefecture logged 204 new cases — its most since March — while Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures logged 310 and 147, respectively.
Outside the capital region, Okinawa Prefecture, currently under a state of emergency, logged 64 new cases. Hokkaido and Aichi Prefecture both also confirmed 64 cases.
Osaka Prefecture reported 200 cases, the most since June 3, and one death, while Hyogo Prefecture saw 45 cases and one death.
The figures come just days after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Thursday that a state of emergency in Tokyo — the capital’s fourth — would take effect from Monday until Aug. 22, owing to a resurgence of COVID-19 that began barely a week after the city’s third state of emergency was lifted in June.
On Friday, the country saw 2,278 new cases, topping the 2,000 mark for the third consecutive day. The nationwide number of severe COVID-19 cases, meanwhile, dropped by 23 from the previous day to 441, while 20 new deaths were reported.