Tokyo confirms 186 new COVID-19 infections

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday confirmed 186 new daily COVID-19 infections, following 207 cases reported a day earlier.

The latest figure marks the first time since Monday that new infections have dropped below 200, with the figure also falling below the seven-day average of 256.3 cases, the metropolitan government said.

The number of patients hospitalized and designated as being in a "serious condition" rose to 32 from 31 the previous day, the Tokyo metropolitan government also said.

This marks the second time the number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients in the capital of 14 million has topped the 30-mark since May amid concerns over the the virus' continued resurgence and contagiousness in urban areas.

Osaka Prefecture, in western Japan, the second-hardest hit by the pandemic here, reported the previous day the number of patients listed as being in a "serious condition" more than doubled Tokyo's figure at 70 patients.

Tokyo's cumulative total of infections has now risen to 18,268, the highest among Japan's 47 prefectures, with the Tokyo metropolitan government maintaining its highest alert level on its four-tier scale meaning "infections are spreading."

The Tokyo metropolitan government has reiterated calls for Tokyo residents to refraining from traveling outside the prefecture during the holiday season, as well as refrain from dining out in groups, including small gatherings held in close proximity with others.

Establishments serving alcohol such as restaurants, bars and karaoke parlors have been requested to shorten their opening hours until the end of August and shut their doors at 10:00 p.m. in a bid to curb the further spread of the virus.

The metropolitan government has described the situation in the capital as "extremely severe," with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike saying that a Tokyo-specific state of emergency could be declared if the virus' resurgence continues to worsen.