Tokyo reports high of 2,848 new Covid-19 cases as Olympics are underway

TOKYO, Japan — Tokyo has reported its highest number of coronavirus infections, four days after the start of the Olympics.

The Japanese capital reported 2,848 new cases, exceeding its record of 2,520 daily cases in January. It brings Tokyo’s total to more than 200,000 since the start of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged people to avoid non-essential outings but says there is no need to consider a suspension of the Games.

Tokyo is under its fourth state of emergency, which is to continue through the Olympics. Experts have warned the more contagious delta variant could cause a surge during the Olympics, which started Friday.

Nationwide, Japan reported 5,020 daily cases Monday for a total of 870,445 and 15,129 confirmed deaths.

Japan has kept its cases and deaths lower than many other countries. Its seven-day rolling average of cases is about 3.57 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.76 in India, 17.3 in the United States and 53.1 in Britain, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.