Tokyo’s daily COVID-19 cases exceed 20,000 for first time

The tally eclipsed the previous record of 17,631 logged Friday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said earlier this week he is not considering declaring a state of emergency in Tokyo despite the recent spike in novel coronavirus cases.

Currently, Tokyo and 33 areas are among the country's 47 prefectures that have been placed under a quasi-state of emergency, allowing local authorities to ask dining establishments to shorten their business hours and limit or stop the serving of alcohol.

Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan is set to become the 35th prefecture to come under the measure after making a request to the central government on Wednesday.

The nationwide tally of new COVID-19 infections the previous day was 81,678.

The government is working on accelerating the rollout of COVID-19 booster shots. Kishida said Wednesday that the number of slots available at a recently reopened mass vaccination center in Tokyo will be raised to 4,000 per day from next Tuesday, and to 5,000 from next Thursday.

Capacity at the center run by the Self-Defense Forces has been limited to 720 slots per day since reopening on Monday, with an initially planned increase to 2,160 slots per day from next week through Sunday filling up almost immediately.

Large-scale vaccination centers that operated in Tokyo and Osaka from May to November last year were capable of vaccinating 10,000 people and 5,000 people per day, respectively. The center in Osaka will be reopened from Feb. 7 with 960 slots per day.

Both centers offer people aged 18 or above U.S. pharmaceutical firm Moderna Inc.'s vaccine.