Tokyo confirmed Saturday 430 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the biggest number since Feb. 18, amid rising concerns over a resurgence of infections.
As many people have started to go outside following the end of a state of emergency less than a week ago and for the best time to view cherry blossoms, the latest count exceeded this month's highest figure of 420 reported on Wednesday.
It brought the total cases in Tokyo to 119,661, after the emergency, which lasted more than two months, ended at midnight Sunday.
"The period in which they were infected is believed to be before the end of the emergency," a Tokyo metropolitan government official said. "Affected by the lifting, it is possible for the number to further increase."
The seven-day rolling average of new cases stood at 342.9 per day, compared with 298.7 one week ago, according to the metropolitan government.
Lured by good weather in the spring, major commercial districts and parks in the Tokyo metropolitan region were crowded with people on the first weekend since the state of emergency was lifted.
At Ueno Park, one of the most popular spots in Tokyo to view cherry blossoms, many visitors were seen taking photos of the flowers while walking, although it prohibited people from having parties under the trees with picnic sheets for the second straight year.
"For a long time, we were told to be patient (with the state of emergency) and the declaration was finally lifted. I think it can't be helped that the number of people will increase slightly," said a 40-year-old man from Saitama, a neighboring city of Tokyo.
On Friday, Japan reported more than 2,000 new cases of the virus in one day for the first time since Feb. 6.
As some other parts of the country, including Osaka and Miyagi prefectures, have also seen signs of what health experts warn of a "fourth wave of coronavirus infections," the number again went over 2,000. As of late Saturday, it reached 2,071.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a one-month state of emergency in the Tokyo region on Jan. 7, later expanding it to a total of 11 prefectures and prolonging it for most of them to March 7.
The measure was further extended by two weeks to last Sunday for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.
