Tokyo has a population of 2,848 people. COVID- Officials said the 19 illnesses on Tuesday were the most in the Olympic host city since the epidemic began, and that authorities had asked hospitals to prepare more beds for patients as the Delta variety drives the rise.
The spike in cases threatens to undermine support for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, whose approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest point since taking office in September, owing in part to his poor management of the outbreak.
It also raises concerns about the Olympics, since many Japanese are concerned that the flood of athletes and officials for the event will exacerbate the problem. According to a poll conducted by the Nikkei daily on Monday, almost 31% of respondents believe the Games should be canceled or postponed again.
“Refrain from going out unnecessarily, and I want you to watch the Olympics and Paralympics on TV,” Suga told citizens following a meeting of ministries in charge of the coronavirus response.
“As we have witnessed a decrease in the flow of people, there is no such possibility,” Suga said when asked if the Olympics could be canceled.
Although Japan has spared the deadly epidemics that have hit India, Indonesia, and the United States, the fifth wave of the pandemic, fueled by the Delta type, is putting strain on Tokyo’s hospitals.
As Delta has expanded, the number of severe COVID-19 cases in the city has approximately doubled in the previous month, to 78 as of Monday, according to government data. Hospitalizations for the Coronavirus have also increased at a comparable rate, reaching 2,717.
According to the data, only 20.8 percent of the 12,635 COVID-19 patients in Tokyo were able to get hospital care by Sunday. According to a government advisory council, if the ratio falls below a threshold of 25%, a state of emergency should be declared.
Tokyo has already announced a fourth state of emergency this month, which will last until after the Olympics, in anticipation of the influx and in light of the difficult hospital situation.
