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The Tokyo metropolitan government confirmed 119 new daily coronavirus infections in the capital on Monday, marking the first time in five days cases have dropped below the 200-mark.
New clusters of infections in both the capital and among U.S. base-linked personnel in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, however, have raised concerns about the virus' resurgence.
The latest figure in Tokyo comes on the heels of 206 cases recorded in the capital the previous day.
This marked the end of a prolonged period of daily cases rising above 200, with a record 243 single-day COVID-19 infections confirmed on Friday.
The metropolitan government said the uptick in the week past was owing to an increase in testing, but Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Monday the metropolitan government is now looking into a new cluster of infections detected at a theater in the capital.
The metropolitan government said that 30 people connected to a theater had tested positive for the virus in less than a week.
Those testing positive comprised sixteen actors, five staff and nine audience members.
They were infected at a theater in Shinjuku Ward between June 30 and July 5, according to the organizer Rise Communication Co., a Tokyo-based event, entertainment and media promotion company.
The metropolitan government had previously voiced concern about rising numbers of infections in downtown nighttime establishments in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro wards.
"It will affect how we proceed with virus measures, especially after the central government relaxed its guidelines Friday for holding large sporting and other events," Koike told a press briefing on Monday with reference to the new cluster in Shinjuku.
Koike has also spoken out about about the central government's plans to boost domestic tourism through a subsidy campaign planned to begin on July 22.
She suggested the move could lead to the virus spreading across prefectural lines, amid the metropolitan government's moves to encourage people to refrain from making unnecessary trips across prefectural borders to curb the spread of the virus.
"It is like putting cooling and heating systems on at the same time. I'm not sure how we are supposed to deal with that," she said amid Tokyo's recent spike in cases and those in prefectures surrounding the capital.
Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, however, told a press conference that striking a balance between measures to prevent the virus from spreading while not stifling economic activity was the central government's objective.
The latest rise in cases brings Tokyo's cumulative total to 8,046 COVID-19 cases, the highest among the nation's 47 prefectures and accounting for more than one-third of all cases nationwide, official figures showed Monday evening.
Nationwide, a daily total of 260 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. In addition to Tokyo's figure, its neighboring prefecture of Saitama reported 26 new cases, while nearby Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures both confirmed 17 new infections.
Japan's cumulative total of COVID-19 cases now stands at 22,252, not including those related to a cruise ship quarantined early in the year in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
As of the latest figures Monday evening, the national death toll now stands at a total of 997 people.
A U.S. Marine base in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, meanwhile, confirmed 32 more COVID-19 cases, the prefectural government said Monday amid rising concerns over an increase in U.S military-linked clusters.
The total number of COVID-19 cases connected to U.S. military facilities in Okinawa now stands at 98, compared to 148 cumulative cases reported by the prefecture, excluding those related to the bases.
The Okinawa government said it received the information from U.S. Forces on the spike in cases at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, amid recent reports that localized clusters had been spreading within U.S. military facilities on the island.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said that some U.S. military-linked personnel had held parties in downtown areas and on beaches in the prefecture, coinciding with Independence Day celebrations on July 4.
He added the U.S. military may not be taking necessary measures to prevent the spread of the pneumonia-causing virus among its personnel based on the island.
"We have strong doubt about measures taken by the U.S. military to prevent spread of the virus," Tamaki was quoted as saying regarding the spike in cases.
Okinawa hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan, yet the tiny sub-tropical island accounts for just a small fraction of Japan's total landmass.
There have been numerous cases of the local citizens being victims of U.S. base-linked workers' criminal activities.
These have spanned from brutal rape and murder cases, instances of military personnel driving under the influence of alcohol, to cases of assault and disorderly behavior.
Okinawans base-hosting burdens have also been further weighed down by a steady flow of accidents and mishaps involving U.S. military aircraft, as well as environmental and noise pollution.
