Japan's COVID-19 cases hit fresh daily record amid concerns over holiday travel
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E-mail Xinhua, August 8, 2020
Japan confirmed a record 1,595 daily number of COVID-19 infections on Friday, as the virus' resurgence continues to spread in urban areas including the capital and its surrounding areas, as well as Osaka Prefecture.
Japan's cumulative total of COVID-19 cases has reached 45,888 as infections continue to spread, with Osaka reporting 255 new cases of the novel coronavirus, breaking its record for new daily cases for a second straight day to total 5,396 infections.
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday, meanwhile, confirmed 462 new daily COVID-19 cases, with the figure surging from the previous day's 360 cases and eclipsing the 263 infections reported on Wednesday.
The latest number of daily new infections fell just shy of Tokyo's record last Saturday of 472 confirmed cases, with the capital's cumulative total now reaching 15,107, the highest among Japan's 47 prefectures.
Amid concerns over a resurgence of the virus in urban areas in Japan, with Tokyo still the epicenter of the nationwide outbreak, Tokyo Governor Yoriko Koike has urged Tokyo residents to refrain from traveling to other prefectures during the upcoming Bon Festival.
With Tokyo's alert level being kept at the highest on its four-tier scale, meaning "infections are spreading," Koike said the situation in the capital was extremely severe and as such called on residents not to return to their hometowns to visit relatives during the holidays.
She urged people instead to remain in Tokyo and spend time with relatives on the phone or online and for Tokyoites to rally together so that "a return to a safe life" could be achieved as soon as possible.
"This year is a special summer. I want people to interact with their long-distance family over the phone or online," Koike said.
Koike, once again, also maintained that if the COVID-19 situation continues to worsen, then a state of emergency for the capital of 14 million would be declared.
She also said Friday that the Tokyo metropolitan government has assigned two medical institutions in the capital to only treat COVID-19 patients beginning in autumn.
Meanwhile, as concerns rise about increased travel during the holiday season, Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture and holiday hot-spot recorded a new record number of cases, Friday evening's figures showed.
The tiny subtropical island confirmed a record 100 new cases, bringing its total to 884 infections.
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