Tokyo reports 1,308 daily COVID-19 cases, hitting 6-month high

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TOKYO. KAZINFORM - The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 1,308 new daily COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest since late January and topping 1,000 for the second day in a row, Kyodo reports.

The figure was released amid a resurgence of infections with just over a week to go before the start of the Tokyo Olympics with the capital currently under a fourth COVID-19 state of emergency.

New cases in Tokyo topped the week-earlier figure for the 26th straight day, bringing its seven-day rolling average of infections to 882.1 per day, up 32.9 percent from the previous week.

The metropolitan government confirmed four deaths Thursday.

The Olympics opening ceremony is set to take place at the National Stadium on July 23 amid concern among health experts that the games, coupled with the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, could become a superspreader event.

Organizers have promised adequate steps to ensure the tens of thousands of athletes, staff and members of the media arriving in Japan will not spread COVID-19, including preventing them from coming into contact with the public.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday visited Narita airport near Tokyo and was briefed on the measures, telling reporters, «It is the responsibility of the government, which is tasked with protecting the lives of the Japanese people, to ensure proper border controls are in place.»


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