Japan on Wednesday reported 3,965 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's total tally of infections to 377,007, as the government mulls extending the state of emergency currently in place for 11 prefectures including Tokyo.
Health officials said 72 more people died from COVID-19-related illnesses, taking the latest nationwide death toll to 5,383 people.
According to the health ministry, the number of patients designated as being "seriously ill" hit its highest-ever level on Wednesday at 1,043 patients, topping the previous record set on Monday by 26 patients.
The Tokyo metropolitan government, meanwhile, reported 973 new daily COVID-19 cases in the capital on Wednesday, bringing the city's cumulative total of people testing positive for the virus to 96,507.
The latest figure, as was the case on Sunday and Monday, dipped below the 1,000-mark, before rising above the threshold on Tuesday when new daily infections in the city of 14 million rose to 1,026.
Health officials in the capital said the number of patients designated as being in a "serious condition" stood at 159, rising by 11 compared to a day earlier, with concerns rising over the increasing strain to the medical system and the likelihood that the number of critically ill patients will rise more among the elderly.
As such, rising numbers of Japanese lawmakers are advocating for an extension of the current state of emergency as despite recent dips in infections, no marked downturn has been discernible so far in the capital and other areas covered by the emergency virus measures.
The month-long state of emergency was initially declared by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga earlier this month, covering 11 of the country's 47 prefectures, namely Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Tochigi, Aichi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka.
Under the state of emergency, people in the affected areas are asked to refrain from making unnecessary trips outdoors, and restaurants and bars are requested to close by 8:00 p.m. local time.
While the current end date of the virus emergency is slated to be Feb. 7, informed government sources have said it could be both extended until the end of February and also expanded further to cover other prefectures where cases of the novel coronavirus have shown no signs of abating.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of the government's COVID-19 response, said on Tuesday that the government will avoid waiting until the last minute to announce its decision on the possible extension and further expansion of the emergency virus measures, so prefectural governments will have adequate time to prepare themselves.
