Tokyo Maintains Coronavirus Alert Level
Tokyo has kept its coronavirus alert at the second highest level on a four-point scale, and warned that the capital is facing the risk of a rapid increase in new cases.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government made the decision on Thursday at a meeting with public health and infectious disease experts to assess the situation.
Dr. Ohmagari Norio of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine said the situation calls for continued vigilance against a possible spike in new cases.
He pointed out that the average daily number of cases in the past week rose to 181, after falling to149 in the previous week and the upward trend could continue.
He also pointed out that the percentage of untraceable cases in the new infections has risen for the first time in a month. He said this raises strong concerns about a possible spike in new cases in the near future.
Ohmagari also mentioned the increase in the number of cases involving people who became infected after eating out with other people. The number rose to 67, from 41 in the previous week.
He warned that cases like these could increase in the future now that people have more opportunities to eat out with friends and other people late at night, following the lifting of Tokyo's request this week that bars and restaurants serving alcohol should close by 10 p.m.
Ohmagari said it is important that bars and restaurants maintain strict measures to avoid creating crowded and close-contact situations among their customers.
