Tokyo Olympics: Cases surge to six-month high in Tokyo a week before Games
The HinduNew coronavirus cases surged to 1,308 in Tokyo on Thursday, a six-month high, as fears rose of a possible dramatic increase that could flood hospitals during the Olympics which starts in eight days. “We need to stay on alert,” Koike said, urging people to minimize outings and stick to basic anti-infection measures “to overcome this very difficult situation.” Tokyo is under a fourth state of emergency, which began Monday and requires restaurants and bars to close early and not serve alcohol through the Olympics, which start July 23. Due to the state of emergency in Tokyo and a fear of infections accelerating during the games, organizers last week decided to bar fans for most events, except for limited numbers at outlying locations. Dr. Masataka Inokuchi, a medical adviser for a Tokyo metropolitan government panel, said Thursday he is worried that younger people may celebrate and party because of the Olympics, further accelerating infections.