Tokyo mulls issuing warning as 34 coronavirus cases confirmed

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TOKYO. KAZINFORM - The Tokyo metropolitan government is considering issuing what Gov. Yuriko Koike calls a «Tokyo alert» when the number of new cases begins trending higher, government sources said Tuesday, as 34 new coronavirus infections were reported.

The number is the highest since Japan completely lifted its state of emergency last week and the first time since May 14 when daily infection cases topped 30.

Tokyo has had the largest number of infections in Japan since late March, after which it reported its first three-digit increase of 116 on April 4. The figure has been gradually decreasing since mid-April, but this week Tokyo has seen a slight bump up.

Koike said last month that Tokyo will issue the alert if the number of new infection cases continues to be 20 a day. Another yardstick would be if the ratio for unknown infection routes climbs to more than 50 percent.

If the numbers exceed maximum-allowed levels on several indexes, other barometers will be taken into account.

Based on the indexes, even after the Tokyo alert is issued and people are urged to be on guard, business suspensions can be requested again, and people will be asked to refrain from nonessential outings.

Musashino Central Hospital in Tokyo said Tuesday, a total of 15 of its patients and staff tested positive for coronavirus.

As of Monday, the tally has brought the total number of infections in the Japanese capital to 5,249, while the number for the entire country reached 16,903, excluding those from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo in February.

Following the Japanese government's lifting of the state of emergency on May 25, the country took careful steps in reopening the economy.

Tokyo has laid out a three-step plan to ease virus restrictions, with museums, schools and sports facilities without spectator stands reopened in the first phase. The second phase saw movie theaters and sports gyms reopen on Monday.

Karaoke boxes and bars will be able to reopen in the third phase of the capital's road map, which was revised following the inclusion of such establishments in the central government's post-emergency policy last week.

Source: Kyodo News


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