Japan's health ministry and local governments said that 520 new daily COVID-19 infections were recorded nationwide, bringing the national total to 5,492 cases, with Tokyo recording a new daily record for a second straight day at 191 infections.
The continued rise in cases across Japan and another recorded spike in Tokyo, the epicenter of the nation's pandemic, came following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declaring a state of emergency over the pandemic here on Tuesday.
The emergency declaration covered the capital and six other major prefectures, including Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka.
Along with Tokyo, which has seen COVID-19 cases rise exponentially compared to Japan's other prefectures, Osaka Prefecture's rising cases have also caused particular concern to prefectural officials and healthcare authorities.
The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 118 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
Of the 5,492 confirmed COVID-19 infections in Japan, the majority are still in Japan's capital city of Tokyo, which confirmed a total of 1,519 cases as of Thursday evening, followed by Osaka Prefecture which has recorded 616 COVID-19 cases.
Kanagawa Prefecture, meanwhile, has 372 cases, Chiba Prefecture 354 infections, while the number of cases in Hyogo Prefecture currently stands at 286 cases.
Aichi Prefecture, which has recorded 283 cases according to the latest figures, on Thursday said it would declare its own state of emergency over the pandemic, after it was left off the central government's regions to be officially placed under the emergency measures earlier in the week.
Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura told a press briefing Thursday that the prefecture, which has the sixth-largest number of coronavirus cases in the country, is in a "very serious situation" owing to the spread of the virus.
"Looking at the past week, there is no doubt we are in a very serious situation," Omura said.
While the number of coronavirus cases are far lower than Tokyo's and Osaka's, Aichi has recorded more cases than Saitama and Fukuoka prefectures, which are all covered by the official state of emergency declaration.
Omura said for the time being Aichi Prefecture will declare its own state of emergency on Friday with residents being asked to refrain from non-essential visits outside excluding those to get food, visit hospitals and for commuting. Schools will also be asked to close until May 6.
As to whether the central government will add Aichi to its official list of regions under the emergency declaration, Japan's top government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday that the opinions of experts would need to be heard before a decision could be made.
The health ministry also said there are currently a total of 117 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units for medical treatment.
