Tokyo has reported a daily record of 1,591 coronavirus cases as the national government prepares to declare a state of emergency this week to cope with a new wave of infections.
Those needing critical care in the capital also reached a record 113 people, according to the metropolitan government.
Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Japan Medical Association, called the situation “extremely serious” but stopped short of criticizing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for acting too slow to contain the latest outbreak, as some have suggested.
Japan has confirmed more than 250,000 cases, including over 3,700 deaths.
Published 06 January 2021, 10:15 IST