TOKYO: Tokyo confirmed more than 100 new coronavirus infection cases on Thursday (Jul 2), public broadcaster NHK said, the Japanese capital's highest daily tally in two months.
The city of 14 million initially sought to hold new daily cases below 20 since Japan lifted a state of emergency on May 25, but its tally has consistently exceeded 50 recently.
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Tokyo's daily count last exceeded 100 on May 2. On Wednesday, it confirmed 67 new cases.
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As infections surpass the city government's target, two weeks into the final phase of loosening COVID-19 curbs, officials have repeatedly said they see no need to declare a new state of emergency.
"The rise in infections is different from the rapid pace of infections seen in late March," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.
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"We will continue to coordinate with the city of Tokyo to strike a balance between preventing further infections and supporting economic activity."
Officials have also said the medical system can handle existing infections and increased testing partly explains the rise in confirmed cases.
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Despite more cases in Tokyo, Japan – with about 19,000 cases and 976 deaths – has reported a lower overall rate of infection than many countries.
More than 10.7 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and 515,141 have died, acRead More – Source
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