Public health officials in Tokyo have started examining nightlife establishments and entertainment venues to see whether they are taking steps against coronavirus infections.
Officials from the public health center in Edogawa Ward began inspections on Tuesday.
Japan's health minister Kato Katsunobu has hinted at the possibility of another nationwide state of emergency if infections of the novel coronavirus surge.
Kato told reporters on Tuesday that he is aware local authorities are taking measures to contain infections. But he said the government could declare another state of emergency if the number of cases rises rapidly despite such efforts.
Japan's health ministry says the number of people seriously ill with COVID-19 peaked about one month after the country registered its highest daily tally of new cases.
The ministry compiled data from 6,462 hospitals that accepted coronavirus patients in April and May.
Japan's health ministry has issued a checklist of 13 coronavirus symptoms which indicate that a person should consult a medical expert immediately.
The list is designed for patients with mild symptoms who are recuperating at designated accommodation facilities or at home.
Japan's health ministry plans to expand the country's capacity to test for the coronavirus to 20,000 a day. It is also thinking about increasing drive-through testing.
The ministry says Japan now has the capacity for up to 12,000 daily tests, done by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, public health centers and others.
Japan's health ministry has released a map showing clusters of coronavirus infections in the country.
The map on the ministry's website shows 15 clusters in 10 prefectures, as of Sunday.
Japan's health ministry plans to review its handling of coronavirus infections on the cruise ship Diamond Princess.
At a news conference on Sunday, health minister Katsunobu Kato said the ministry has collected necessary data and will choose an appropriate time for the review, while keeping a close watch on the outbreak in Japan.
Japan's Health Ministry will continue to check the condition of passengers who got off the quarantined cruise ship docked near Tokyo, after one of them tested positive for the new coronavirus on Saturday.
Nine hundred sixty-nine passengers left the Diamond Princess last week after testing negative for the virus and finishing the two-week quarantine period.
Japan's health ministry says another one of its officials who had been working on the quarantined cruise ship docked in Yokohama, near Tokyo, is confirmed to have the new coronavirus.
The man in his 50s had been gathering information on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess to relay to the ministry between Tuesday and Saturday.
Japan's health ministry appears set to launch studies into how to prevent crew on board a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus outbreak from catching the virus.
The move comes as 20 crew members of the quarantined Diamond Princess have tested positive for the virus.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato has disclosed plans to step up measures at ports of entry from China to prevent the spread of infections caused by a new strain of the coronavirus.
Questionnaires about symptoms will be distributed to passengers arriving on flights from Wuhan, China, where the deadly outbreak began.