Tokyo hit another six-month high in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, one day before the Olympics begin, as worries grow of a worsening of infections during the Games.
Thursday’s 1,979 new cases are the highest since 2,044 were recorded on Jan. 15.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is determined to hold the Olympics, placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then.
The emergency measures, which largely involve a ban on alcohol sales and shorter hours for restaurants and bars, are to last until Aug. 22, after the Olympics end on August 8.
The Olympics, delayed for a year by the pandemic, beginning Friday. Spectators are banned from all venues in the Tokyo area, with limited audiences allowed at a few outlying sites.
Suga’s government has been criticized for what some say is prioritizing the Olympics over the nation’s health. His public support ratings have fallen to around 30 percent in recent media surveys, and there has been little festivity ahead of the Games.
Experts warned on Wednesday that infections in Tokyo are likely to continue to worsen in the coming weeks.
Thursday’s 1,979 new cases are the highest since 2,044 were recorded on Jan. 15.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is determined to hold the Olympics, placed Tokyo under a state of emergency on July 12, but daily cases have sharply increased since then.
The emergency measures, which largely involve a ban on alcohol sales and shorter hours for restaurants and bars, are to last until Aug. 22, after the Olympics end on August 8.
The Olympics, delayed for a year by the pandemic, beginning Friday. Spectators are banned from all venues in the Tokyo area, with limited audiences allowed at a few outlying sites.
Suga’s government has been criticized for what some say is prioritizing the Olympics over the nation’s health. His public support ratings have fallen to around 30 percent in recent media surveys, and there has been little festivity ahead of the Games.
Experts warned on Wednesday that infections in Tokyo are likely to continue to worsen in the coming weeks.
