TOKYO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan reported 32,197 daily COVID-19 cases across the country on Tuesday, exceeding the previous record of 25,992 daily cases in August last year and logging a new all-time high, according to an NHK tally based on data from local governments.
The Tokyo metropolitan government confirmed 5,185 new infection cases, the first time to top 5,000 in nearly five months since Aug. 21, 2021. The number rose more than five times from 962 on last Tuesday, recording the biggest count on Tuesdays ever.
The latest average of daily infection cases in seven-day period stood at 3,858.6 per day, quadrupling from the previous week, according to the metropolitan government.
Nearly half of the daily cases, or 2,452 people, have finished two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients under the metropolitan government's criteria rose by two to seven from the previous day as of 6:00 p.m. local time.
The capital's government reported no new death cases related to the COVID-19.
Western Osaka prefecture reported 5,396 new cases on Tuesday, surpassing the count of 3,760 cases on Jan. 16 and logging a new record.
The government is reportedly considering declaring a quasi-state of emergency for Tokyo and three nearby prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno saying on Monday that new infections are spreading at an "unprecedented rate."
"A number of prefectures have requested the measure, and we would like to decide on them speedily," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.
Earlier this week, the governors of Tokyo and other 12 prefectures requested to be put under a quasi-state of emergency. The 12 prefectures included Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Aichi.
Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Okinawa have been under a quasi-state of emergency since earlier this month.
