Japan is considering placing 11 prefectures, including Tokyo and its surrounding area, under a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency to curb rapidly spreading coronavirus cases, government sources said Monday.

Any declaration of a quasi-emergency hinges on requests made by these prefectures, but the government is preparing to make a decision as early as Wednesday, the sources said, as the highly transmissible omicron variant continues to spread.

If declared, Japan would see 14 of its 47 prefectures placed under the anti-virus measure, reinforcing the view that the nation is experiencing what health experts describe as its sixth wave of the pandemic.