TOKYO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday confirmed 462 new daily COVID-19 cases, falling just shy of its record of 472 confirmed cases on Aug. 2, with the capital's cumulative total reaching 15,107, the highest among Japan's 47 prefectures.
Amid concerns over a resurgence of the virus in urban areas in Japan, with Tokyo still the epicenter of the nationwide outbreak, Tokyo Governor Yoriko Koike has urged Tokyo residents to refrain from traveling to other prefectures during the upcoming Bon holidays.
With Tokyo's alert level being kept at the highest on its four-tier scale, meaning "infections are spreading," Koike said the situation in the capital was extremely severe and as such called on residents not to return to their hometowns to visit relatives during the holidays.
She urged people instead to remain in Tokyo and spend time with relatives on the phone or online and for Tokyoites to rally together so that "a return to a safe life" could be achieved as soon as possible.
"This year is a special summer. I want people to interact with their long-distance family over the phone or online," Koike said.
She also maintained that if the COVID-19 situation continues to worsen, then a state of emergency for the capital of 14 million would be declared. Enditem
