Tokyo reported more than 1,300 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, December 31 - a new record - as local and government officials warned that a state of emergency may be necessary in the face of the surge in contamination.
Read also: Covid-19: a New Year under curfew
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga spoke to ministers affected by the health crisis, but did not announce any new measures.
“
The trend is clearly on the rise.
I take this very serious,
”Suga told reporters, once again urging the Japanese to wear masks, wash their hands and avoid crowds and non-essential outings.
He said he asked ministers to ensure that the country would take advantage of this break during the holiday season "
to put in place an adequate system for the provision of medical care by coordinating efforts with local governments
".
He spoke as the capital Tokyo recorded 1,337 new cases of coronavirus, which was a new record.
The previous toll from Saturday stood at 949 people infected in one day.
Nationally, the record was also broken Thursday with more than 4,000 new cases, authorities said.
“
For the coronavirus, there is no end of the year or public holiday.
In this winter season, we are seeing the coronavirus spreading and the situation is extremely serious,
”said Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike for her part.
Japan has been relatively spared compared to other countries around the world, with fewer than 3,500 deaths since it recorded its first case in January 2020. It has also avoided harsh containment measures, although the government has imposed a state of emergency in the spring by asking businesses and schools to close and residents to stay at home.
However, this measure was not binding and was lifted after several weeks when the number of cases fell.
The infection rate remained low during the summer, but in recent weeks Japan has seen a marked upsurge in contamination, prompting calls for a new state of emergency, which the government is reluctant to impose. for fear of economic fallout.
If the number of cases continues to increase, the city of Tokyo "
may have no choice but to ask
" the central government to declare a new state of emergency, Koike warned Wednesday.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the fight against the coronavirus, also said on Wednesday that a state of emergency would be necessary to "
protect the lives of the Japanese
" if infections continued to increase.
“
The medical system will not be able to survive,
” he said in a video message.
Suga, who took office in September after Shinzo Abe resigned for health reasons, is increasingly criticized for his handling of the health crisis.
His popularity has dropped in polls.
Earlier this week, former Japanese Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata became the first high-ranking politician to die after contracting the virus.