This photo taken Jan. 5, 2022, shows a COVID-19 PCR testing facility on the famous Kokusai shopping street in the Okinawa Prefecture city of Naha, southern Japan. Okinawa has seen a substantial increase in coronavirus infections. (Kyodo)
NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Daily coronavirus cases in Japan surpassed 2,000 on Wednesday for the first time in over three months, sparking concerns about what may be a sixth wave of COVID-19 infections in the country amid the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Of the tally, Okinawa accounted for 623 new infections, with Gov. Denny Tamaki set to request that the central government declare a quasi-state of emergency in the southern island prefecture from Sunday to the end of the month.
In Tokyo, the metropolitan government reported 390 more coronavirus cases Wednesday, up from 151 the previous day and hitting the highest level in three months.
The daily tally for Osaka Prefecture, meanwhile, totaled 244, making it the first time that it has exceeded 200 since Oct. 6.
While acknowledging that the infection situation in Okinawa already warrants a full state of emergency, Tamaki expressed caution about the potential impact on the local economy of such a decision.
The prefectural government will make a final decision at a taskforce meeting Thursday on what measures will be implemented as Okinawa's daily figure exceeded 600 for the first time since Aug. 28.
Infections have been rising since a cluster of cases at one of the U.S. bases in Okinawa last month. The Okinawa government believes the resurgence of the virus in the prefecture is due to the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus spreading from military facilities.
Okinawa's cumulative Omicron cases stood at 135 as of Tuesday.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference that the central government would "promptly consider" imposing quasi-emergency measures in Okinawa if requested.
==Kyodo
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