Tokyo Olympics Covid Spike

TOKYO has seen a sharp rise in Covid cases as the 2020 Olympics kicked off last week. Tokyo has reported its highest one-day increase of Covid cases on record as athletes compete in the postponed 2020 Olympics.

The capital of Japan reported 2,848 new coronavirus cases today – more than double last week's figures. The record tally of cases comes on just day four of the games, which is set to last until Sunday, August 8 – another 13 days.

RELATED: Tokyo Olympics Postponed, U.S. Closes in on Relief Package

Tokyo Olympics Covid Spike: 2,848 new cases – The Biggest One-Day Increase on Record

Today's record high surpasses the previous record of 2,520 cases reported on January 7, at the height of the second wave of the pandemic. Tuesday’s figure marked the eighth straight day of over 1,000 cases being reported.

On Monday, the capital reported 1,429 new cases, almost double last week's figure and the most ever for a Monday. The country is struggling to keep on top of fresh infections as thousands of athletes and officials attend the Olympics.

Tokyo has asked hospitals to prepare more beds for Covid-19 patients in response to the sharp rise in infections. Officials aim to raise the number of beds to 6,406 by early next month from the current capacity of 5,967, according to broadcaster TBS.

Hospitals have been asked to push back planned surgery and scale down other treatments to make space for new Covid patients. So far just over 36 percent of the Japanese population have been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to Our World In Data.

A quarter of the population has been fully vaccinated, while an additional 12 percent have received one jab. By contrast, the UK has vaccinated almost 69 percent of the population – with 55 percent being fully vaccinated.

Many locals had wanted the Olympics postponed or canceled due to fears the Games would cause a surge in infections. But officials plowed on with the event, with strict rules in place to help prevent cases from rising.

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Article Source: express.co.uk