TOKYO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 266 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, amid rising concerns over the pace of the spread of the infections this month.
The latest figure follows 131 cases confirmed on the previous day, when the figure dropped below the 200-mark for the first time in seven days.
The capital of 14 million people has seen new infections surpass 100 for 20 straight days, the metropolitan's data showed.
New cases of the virus in July has surpassed the 5,000-mark in the capital, accounting for about 50 percent of Tokyo's cumulative total of more than 11,600 cases and one-third of the nation's total.
The government recently launched the subsidized "Go To Travel" campaign aimed at bolstering domestic travel and the tourism industry by offering travelers subsidies on transportation and accommodation among other incentives. The move has raised concerns among some local officials that the virus could spread across prefectural lines if the number of domestic travelers increase during the summer.
Tokyo, the epicenter of the nation's COVID-19 outbreak, was abruptly cut from the campaign, with Tokyo residents and trips to and from Tokyo made ineligible for the subsidies owing to the capital's coronavirus crisis.
While concerns still remain about disproportionately high numbers of people in their 20s and 30s testing positive for the virus recently, the metropolitan government has voiced concerns about rising numbers of those in their 40s and 50s testing positive.
The metropolitan government raised its alert level for the virus to the highest on its four-tier scale in mid-July meaning that "infections are spreading."
With nighttime entertainment establishments also having been a hotbed for cluster outbreaks in the capital, Japan's minister in charge of the coronavirus response, Yasutoshi Nishimura, said Tuesday that more stringent measures should be taken.
These could include the naming of the establishments if infections are detected there amid insufficient antiviral measures. Enditem
