Tokyo reports 143 new COVID-19 cases, highest jump in one day

Amid reports that Japan capital could witness second wave of coronavirus cases, Tokyo governor on Sunday said that the city has reported 143 new cases, the highest daily jump bringing the number of cases in the Japanese capital to more than 1,000.

Tokyo's metropolitan government has asked the people to stay at home as the city of nearly 14 million has seen a surge in the number of cases in recent days, reported news agency Reuters.

The number of cases with untraceable transmission routes had increased in recent days, Governor Yuriko Koike said in a livecast YouTube video, adding it was worrying that several people were infected at hospitals.

The majority of confirmed COVID-19 cases over the weekend in Tokyo were of people under the age of 50, a member of Japan's health ministry taskforce for the virus said in the same livecast, adding that many of them were in their 20s and 30s.

Tokyo's metropolitan government has repeatedly called on residents in the densely populated city to avoid all unnecessary outings. Koike said in an earlier TV appearance that "lives were at stake".

Global cases of the new coronavirus have shot past 1 million with more than 64,000 deaths. 

Japan, with some 3,000 cases and 73 deaths as of Friday, has so far been spared the kind of explosive surge seen in Europe, the United States and elsewhere.

(With inputs from Reuters)