Despite the containment and sanitary measures taken during the Olympic Games to stop the spread of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. Japan surpassed a record 14,207 new cases of COVID-19.
The above was confirmed by the public broadcaster NHK, since Tokyo accounted for in one day. The peak of 4,166 new infections amid an increase in the number of cases of delta variants.
What does it mean?
This indicates that Japan reached the milestone of one million cases of coronavirus. But nevertheless, contagions not only shot up in Tokyo, but also in other urban areas, while the country struggles to contain the Delta variant.
In fact, Six prefectures, including Tokyo, are already under full states of emergency that will last until Aug. 31, and another five are under less strict directives. Which means that just over half of the population is covered by some restrictions.
The cases in Kanagawa and Osaka
New cases in Tokyo reached 4,515, the second highest on record after Thursday’s record of 5,042. While the neighboring and populous prefecture of Kanagawa saw how its infections soared to more than 2,000, quadrupling in less than two weeks.
Infections in Osaka, the largest city in the west of the country, also rose to a record 1,310. In a sign that the pathogen is rapidly spreading outside of Tokyo.
This scenario could reverse the “hot streak” that Japan had been managing.
The total number of cases since the pandemic began last year already exceeds one million. Which clouds the country’s initial success in containing the disease.
While the contagion seems to spread rapidly from the capital to other regions. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was cautious about extending the state of emergency to the entire country.
“We have to take local conditions into account,” Suga told reporters in Hiroshima. Where he attended a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
Are the Olympics to blame?
Suga also said that any decision on whether to allow spectators to attend the Paralympic Games, which will run from August 24 to September 5, will be made after the end of the Olympics on Sunday.
The official reiterated that he does not believe that the celebration of the Games contributes to the increase in infections
However, Games organizers reported 31 new Games-related COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Which brings the total from July 1 to 353.
It remains to be seen whether the latest COVID-19 restrictions, which are mostly voluntary. They will have a lot of impact as the highly transmissible Delta variant spreads.
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