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Tokyo confirmed 783 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, according to national broadcaster NHK.
The number of new daily coronavirus infections in Japan capital topped 1,000 for the first time on Thursday, hitting a record 1,337 as the country battles a third wave of the pandemic.
New Year’s Day is the biggest holiday on Japan’s calendar, but this year’s holidays have moderated following record highs in new coronavirus cases across the country and calls from the government to stay home. .
Emperor of Japan Naruhito He appealed to the public to work together through the pandemic in a videotaped New Year’s Day address to the nation that was unveiled on Friday.
“I sincerely hope that everyone can move forward during this difficult time by supporting and helping each other,” he said in the speech, which was released in lieu of an annual public appearance by the imperial family during the New Year holidays.
The first Minister, Yoshihide Suga, it also issued a written statement, promising that it would “protect people’s lives” and vowing to work on “countermeasures against the virus and economic recovery.”
“The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held this summer,” he added, saying that preparations for the delayed events were underway.
On Wednesday, however, Tokyo governor, Yuriko koike, said the capital could face an “explosion” of cases, raising new fears that the Olympics could be in jeopardy.
Just 24 hours later, Koike told Kyodo news agency that Tokyo had 1,300 new infections, surpassing the previous one-day high of 949 from last Saturday. Around 3,480 people have died in Japan out of around 235,700 cases during the pandemic so far.
The New Year’s Day festivities in Japan involve spending time with family and praying at local temples, where hordes of people wish for good luck next year.
Today at Meiji Jingu, a shrine in central Tokyo, masked visitors lined up behind a ribbon on the ground to stay socially distant from each other.
