Jul 15 (NHK) - People in Tokyo are watching with wary eyes as the latest daily case numbers hover in the mid-100s after topping 200 four days in a row through Sunday.
Officials confirmed 143 new infections in the capital on Tuesday, bringing the total number to nearly 8,200 in the city of 14 million.
Many of the recent cases are young people who work at or have visited nightlife districts.
Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister, Nishimura Yasutoshi said, "The number of infected people is increasing considerably. We have to deal with the situation with a sense of crisis."
Nishimura is in charge of the government's coronavirus response. He says officials and experts will discuss if night clubs that don't act in accordance with anti-virus guidelines should be asked to close.
Cluster infections have been confirmed outside nightlife districts. They include about 40 actors, staff members and patrons at a theater in central Tokyo.
The infected theatergoers came from across the greater Tokyo region. A woman who attended the performance says the venue was closed and crowded.
She said, "The space between rows was less than 1 meter. I had to move my legs to let people pass. And the space between seats was just wide enough, too."
Health officials are asking the 800 people who attended the 12 shows held over six days, as well as 50 staff members and performers, to take a virus test.
More than 22,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Japan. Nearly 1,000 people have died.
