TOKYO, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's daily COVID-19 cases increased by 578 new infections on Friday with the figure pushed up by record high new cases in the capital.

Japan's number of total COVID-19 cases now stands at 24,235 excluding those connected to a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama earlier in the year, while the number of Tokyo's total cases reached 8,933, official figures showed Friday evening.

The national death toll totaled 998 as of Friday evening, according to data from the health ministry and local authorities.

The Tokyo metropolitan government said daily coronavirus cases in the capital hit a new record at 293, following the previous day's record of 286 COVID-19 cases.

Following Tokyo, Osaka Prefecture recorded 53 new cases, while Tokyo's neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba reported 43, 51 and 20 new cases on Friday respectively, the figures showed.

Since the nationwide state of emergency was fully lifted on May 25, Tokyo in particular has seen a resurgence of cases, while its neighboring prefectures have also seen COVID-19 cases rise commensurate with the capital's.

The resurgence of cases in Tokyo, with the average daily figure of newly confirmed infections in the capital of 14 million people topping 200 over the past seven days, has seen the the metropolitan government raise its virus alert level to the highest on its four tier scale, confirming that infections are spreading.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has said that the increase in positive COVID-19 cases is due to testing being increased to more than 4,000 a day.

On Friday Koike reiterated calls for residents and businesses to take measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

Of those newly infected, the infection routes were unknown in 142 of the cases, the metropolitan government said on Friday.

The government also requested that people do not visit nighttime entertainment spots that have not taken the necessary virus prevention measures.

Besides nighttime entertainment spots, Tokyo has also been dealing with localized infection clusters at a theater in Shinjuku Ward, welfare centers as well as nurseries, amid concerns over the virus' diversified resurgence.

Japan is also being lumbered with rising numbers of COVID-19 infections on U.S. military bases in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.

Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono on Friday said he has called on the United States to conduct coronavirus testing on all U.S. military personnel coming to Japan after outbreaks of the virus have hit numerous U.S. bases in Okinawa.

Kono said the defense ministry here has requested that U.S. military personnel bound for Japan take one test prior to leaving the United States and one upon arrival in Japan.

"With so many asymptomatic people, PCR testing is a must," Kono said, adding that tests needed to be to be carried out, without exception.

Kono said the U.S. side has said it it is considering the request.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki has also asked the U.S. side to clarify whether or not the necessary virus prevention measures are being taken by U.S. military personnel while based in Okinawa, including two-week quarantine measures where necessary.

Tamaki has also called for the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to be reviewed as U.S. military personnel are exempt from Japan's quarantine rules and travel bans.

On Thursday, the U.S. Marine Corps Camp Hansen in Okinawa reported 58 new coronavirus cases, the Okinawa prefectural government said, while 73 cases have been linked to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, an additional five were confirmed at Kadena Air Base, and one each at Camp McTureous and Camp Kinser, officials said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases at U.S. military bases in Okinawa on Thursday stood at 138, the prefectural government said, adding that amid fears of the virus spreading to the local population, an elderly taxi driver had tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on Friday urged against large groups of young people and senior citizens using a soon-to-be-launched travel subsidy campaign amid concerns over the spread and effects on the elderly of the coronavirus.

The latest restrictions follow Kazuyoshi Akaba announcing the previous day that Tokyo residents and trips to and from the capital would be ineligible for the government's Go To Travel Campaign, set to start on July 22.

Koike has spoken out about about the travel campaign suggesting the move could lead to the virus spreading across prefectural lines.

Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, has said that "extreme caution" would be required by the government in launching the campaign. Enditem

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