Tokyo has recorded the highest daily number of new coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic, the city administration says.
In the last 24 hours, 286 new infections were registered in the Japanese capital, according to TV broadcaster NHK on Thursday, stoking fears of a second wave.
The number of cases has been rising since the government lifted the state of emergency on May 25. The virus seemed contained at the time.
Tokyo's night clubs are reportedly one of the main sources of the renewed spread, as well as clusters in theatres, offices and care facilities.
With people worried about the infections spreading from Tokyo to the rest of the country, resistance against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's support package for Japan's battered tourism industry is mounting.
The so-called "Go To" program is to start on July 22, financing up to half of traveller's costs, including transport and accommodation.
Critics called for a review of the program. Tokyo's Governor Yuriko Koike said it could contribute to spread and put an additional strain on the health system.
Abe said on Thursday he would consult with experts to get the initiative started in a secure way, hoping that Japanese people would travel and spend money to stimulate the economy.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 23,700 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Japan and around 1000 people have died, according to the NHK report.
Australian Associated Press
