Tokyo, Dec. 31, (dpa/GNA) – Tokyo posted 1,337 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the highest daily count ever, local media reported, as Japan is in the midst of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The figure was far larger than the previous single-day record of 949 new cases on Saturday, when Japan reported a national record of 3,851 new infections, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
The Japanese capital has been battered by a third wave of “unprecedented scale,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told a news conference late Wednesday, referring to coronavirus infections.
“It is no surprise that an explosive outbreak could take place at any time,” the governor added.
Koike once again urged 14 million Tokyo residents to stay at home during the year-end holiday period.
“We are standing at a critical juncture, whether we can overcome this situation,” she added.
Meanwhile, the ministry also reported six cases of a new coronavirus variant initially discovered in Britain, which brought the total to 21 cases in Japan.
The confirmation of the new strain believed to be more contagious prompted the government to temporarily suspend the entry of foreign nationals. The measure started on Monday and will run until the end of January, the Foreign Ministry said.
GNA