COVID-19: Daily caseload tops 3,000 in Tokyo amidst Olympics; governor says 'stay indoors'

The daily COVID-19 caseload in Tokyo has topped 3,000 as of July 28, Wednesday. This is called for suggestions of implementation of revised and more strict restrictions from several neighbouring nations. The Japanese capital city Tokyo recorded as many as 3,117 cases on Tuesday. In the wake of the spike in infections, Japanese governor Yuriko Koike has asked people to stay indoors and specifically avoid unnecessary, non-urgent outings.

Spike in COVID-19 cases mean adopting stricter protective measures among Olympics participants

The spike in cases has increased the necessity of adopting stricter protective measures for Tokyo Olympics participants. The Olympic athletes already had to undergo various restrictions including regular testings and limited movements. As many as 22 positive cases were reported from the Tokyo Olympics participants group, the team officials informed earlier this month. About 1,24,358 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Tokyo Olympics participants, which did not include airport tests. Even though fans have been barred from attending the games, many show up during the events that are carried out in public places. Meanwhile, Government spokesperson, Katsunobu Kato has urged Japanese citizens to avoid unnecessary meetings and gatherings for leisure. According to reports, the new infections were mostly recorded among young unvaccinated people. Consequently, Governor Koike has asked young people to "cooperate" and get vaccinated in order to avoid the spread of the disease. This has also bared the sluggish vaccination program in Japan. Only 25% of the Japanese population has received both the shots of the COVID-19 immunisation program.

Red alert zones in Japan

COVID-19 cases in Japan have skyrocketed since July 13 with an average of 791 cases. The count jumped up to 1,068 cases on July 18. Subsequently, the cases have continued to rise in the island country. Japan has reported as many as 20,598 cases between July 14 and July 27. Followed by Saitama, with 5,107 cases during the same time span. Chiba has also recorded about 4,142 cases at the same time. Even though the country has fared really well during the height of the pandemic with just 15,096 deaths, the rise in cases is due to the Delta Variant of the SARS-CoV 2, which was first found in India, has elevated concern amidst the ongoing international events in Tokyo.

(Image input: AP)