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Tokyo faces another critical weekend as daily infection rate hits record high

Jul 25, 2020 | News On Japan

Jul 25, 2020 (Japan Times) - Once again the capital stands at a critical juncture this weekend, with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike having urged residents to stay inside and avoid all nonessential travel following an unprecedented surge of the novel coronavirus.

Almost four months have passed since the first time she made such a request. However, not only has the situation intensified dramatically, the countermeasures policymakers had at their disposal then might no longer be an option.

While the capital once again faces a crucial moment in its fight against the coronavirus, this time it does so on very different terms.

In the last weekend of March, the city had reported more than 40 cases for three days in a row. The figure, then unprecedented, drove Koike to threaten a citywide lockdown — despite questionable legal standing — and the central government to declare a state of emergency in seven prefectures including Tokyo less than two weeks later.

After nine days, the state of emergency was extended to the rest of the country. As a result, for less than two months, a voluntary moratorium was imposed on urban traffic and businesses nationwide.

In contrast, daily cases shattered previous records nationwide and in the capital this week on Thursday when Japan logged 981 new cases, of which 366 occurred in Tokyo.

“It’s a concerning number,” Koike told reporters Thursday. “We should take it as a warning that stronger public cooperation is necessary to stop the virus from spreading further.”

The capital’s previous record was set on July 17, when it reported 292 cases.

On Friday, Tokyo recorded an additional 260 cases of COVID-19. Osaka reported 149 cases, while Aichi saw 60, recording over 50 for the fourth consecutive day.

The same day, the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa Prefecture reported an additional 41 infections, bringing the total infections among the military there to 201 since the July 4 weekend.

The latest cases included 27 at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in the city of Ginowan, and 14 at Camp Hansen, in the town of Kin.

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