[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The number of new COVID-19 cases in Japan continues to surge.
According to Japan's NHK broadcast at 8:30 PM on the 30th, 10,744 new COVID-19 infections were confirmed nationwide in Japan.
After breaking the record with over 9,000 cases on the 28th, the daily record was broken for three consecutive days. Furthermore, following the previous day's (10,699 cases) first time surpassing 10,000, the number remained in the 10,000 range for the second consecutive day.
Japan's cumulative confirmed cases rose to 914,777. The total death toll increased by 9 on this day, reaching 15,197.
Tokyo, where the Olympic Games are being held, reported 3,300 new cases, maintaining over 3,000 cases for the third consecutive day.
In the three metropolitan areas of Kanagawa (1,418 cases), Saitama (853 cases), and Chiba (753 cases), as well as Osaka (882 cases), the number of new infections continued to soar.
The Japanese government decided to additionally declare a state of emergency in these four metropolitan areas from August 2 to 31 to curb the spread of infections. As a result, the areas under the state of emergency increased to six, including the existing Tokyo and Okinawa.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stated at a press conference held at the Prime Minister's residence that due to the variant virus, "the infection is spreading at a speed never experienced before," and vowed to respond at the whole-government level with the determination that this state of emergency is the last.
Prime Minister Suga also said he would make every effort to have more than 40% of the total population complete two doses of vaccination by late August to restore a new normal.
Regarding criticism that the Olympics are the cause of the infection spread, he emphasized, "We are firmly responding by ensuring that foreign athletes do not come into contact with Japanese citizens upon airport entry," and added, "I do not currently believe that the Olympics are the cause of the infection spread."
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