The Tokyo Olympics have ended, but cases are still rising amid calls to limit gatherings.
On Friday, Tokyo reported 5,773 new cases, surpassing the previous record of 5,042 set last week. Yet many people are ignoring government requests to avoid travel and are gathering at bars and restaurants even as the coronavirus spikes.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hopes vaccinations will slow the infections. It’s a race between the fast-spreading delta variant of the virus and inoculation rates that are making better progress than expected.
Japan’s daily coronavirus cases have topped 10,000 for more than a week, hospitals are filling up, and thousands of people infected are isolating at home. About 36% of Japan’s population has been fully vaccinated.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
