TOKYO, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo on Wednesday confirmed a record 1,591 new daily COVID-19 infections, with the record number of cases coming just days ahead of a state of emergency likely being declared for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures due to a surging "third wave" of infections.
The previous daily high in Tokyo was set on Thursday last week and saw 1,337 infections as rising cases in the Greater Tokyo area, comprising Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, are showing no signs of abating.
On Tuesday nationwide cases hit a record 4,912 new daily infections, bringing the country's cumulative total to 253,437, not including those related to a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo last year.
The greater Tokyo area now accounts for half of the country's daily infections.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday said that a decision to declare another state of emergency would be made on Thursday, stating, "What the people want from the government and the ruling party is a sense of security and hope."
"We will put the coronavirus response first and work hard at it," Suga said at an executive meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Government officials have said that the emergency declaration is expected to be kept in place for roughly one month for the greater Tokyo area.
A state of emergency was declared in Tokyo and six other prefectures on April 7 last year. It was later expanded to cover the whole country before being lifted in late May.
Amid rising concerns about the strain on the health care system, Suga said he would take into account the opinions of health experts on Thursday before making a final decision on the declaration.
He also said he would be looking to the health experts to "set a direction" regarding the emergency declaration.
Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor at Kyoto University specializing in mathematical modeling for infectious diseases, on Wednesday told a meeting of health experts advising the government that it will take two months or so for the daily number of new infections in Tokyo to fall below 100, according to Kyodo News.
Shigeru Omi, head of a government subcommittee on the pandemic, meanwhile, was quoted as saying it would be an "extremely difficult feat to improve the situation to a state where the state of emergency could be lifted in less than one month."
The Metropolitan government decided Monday to ask restaurants that serve alcohol to close by 8:00 p.m. local time from Friday, thereafter, all dining facilities including those which do not serve alcohol will be asked to close at 8:00 p.m. from Jan. 12 through Jan. 31.
Saitama Prefecture will take a similar step, sources close to the matter have said.
"Since the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding prefectures are connected, we are coordinating with each other to implement (more) effective measures," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said.
As things stand, there are currently no penalties for people or establishments who fail to comply with new measures set out, although Suga said the government will, by proposing a legal revision this month, try to change this.
The current legislation provides a legal basis for governors to ask residents in their prefectures to stay at home and also enables stronger steps to deal with outbreaks, including the requisition of medical supplies and food, as well as the expropriation of private land for emergency health facilities.
But it does not provide a legal basis for imposing a lockdown with restrictions on the movement of people, or fines for those who leave their homes, as has been seen in numerous countries' lockdowns overseas.
During his New Year's address on Monday, however, Suga said a legal revision aimed at providing benefits for those who comply with anti-virus measures, such as earlier closing times, and penalties for those who do not conform, will be sought in a parliamentary session to be convened later in January.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the government's response to the coronavirus, is set to report the situation to parliament on Thursday.
The prime minister met with Nishimura, Health Minister Norihisa Tamura and Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato at his office Wednesday.
During this meeting he reportedly told them to expedite preparations for the state of emergency.
