Japan has extended its state of emergency to three prefectures near Tokyo and western Osaka, as COVID-19 cases have surged in the capital and across the country, casting a shadow over the Summer Olympics.

At a press conference on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called on citizens to watch the Olympics at home, announcing the extension of coronavirus restrictions in several areas, as the delta virus caused the number of infections to hit a record high.

The emergency measures that Tokyo has taken will be extended to the end of August, after the end of the Olympic Games and before the Paralympic Games starting on August 24.

The number of reported cases in Tokyo hit a record high for three consecutive days, including 3,865 on Thursday and 3,300 on Friday. The number of cases has doubled since last week, although officials said the surge has nothing to do with the Olympics.

A government team approved plans to place Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba, and Osaka in a state of emergency starting Monday. The other five regions, including Hokkaido, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka, will be subject to less stringent emergency restrictions.

Officials warned that the daily number of infections in Tokyo could reach 4,500 in two weeks.

Officials said that 2,995 people were hospitalized, about half of the current 6,000-bed capacity, and some hospitals are already full.

In addition, more than 10,000 people are isolated at home or in designated hotels, and nearly 5,600 people are waiting at home. The health center decides where they will receive treatment.

Tokyo has also set up a facility for those who need oxygen while waiting for hospital beds.

At a meeting of government experts on Friday, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Norihisa Tamura stated that despite being in a state of emergency within two weeks, the surge in Tokyo’s epidemic is “a worrying development different from anything we have seen before.” .

Nationwide, Japan reported 10,687 confirmed cases on Thursday, exceeding 10,000 for the first time.

Since the pandemic began, it has recorded 15,166 deaths, including 2,288 in Tokyo.

Data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan shows that Japan’s number of cases and deaths has been lower than many other countries, but its 7-day rolling average is growing, and now there are 28 people per 100,000 people in the country and 88 people per 100,000 people in Tokyo. .

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, this compares to 18.5 in the United States, 48 ??in the United Kingdom, and 2.8 in India.

The focus of the emergency measures is banning alcohol in restaurants and karaoke bars and shortening business hours, but because they only require people to stay at home and work, they are not effective.

Many people ignore these measures because they are tired of restrictive lives and are not very cooperative even when the more contagious Delta strain is spreading.

“We need to come up with effective measures,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said at a regular press conference on Friday, but did not elaborate.

Koike pointed out that the most recent cases are mainly adults in their 30s. Koike reminded them to follow basic anti-virus measures, including wearing masks and avoiding parties, and urged them to “share the sense of crisis.”

As of Thursday, 27% of the Japanese population has been fully vaccinated. The proportion of elderly fully vaccinated is 71.5%.