Tokyo [Japan] August 16 (ANI/Sputnik): Japanese government will prolong the state of emergency in Tokyo and five more prefectures, expanding it to cover three more prefectures, in a bid to halt a recent flare-up in COVID-19 cases, the Asahi newspaper reported on Monday.

In prefectures of Tokyo, Okinawa, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Osaka the state of emergency, which was due to expire on August 31, will be extended until mid-September. Apart from that, the state of emergency will be declared in Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka, where milder restrictions are currently in force.

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The government is expected to hold a meeting later on Monday, and on Tuesday the decision will be officially taken at the meeting of a governmental anti-coronavirus body following consultations with the experts' council.

Tokyo registers some 5,000 infections daily, which is record high since the pandemic outbreak. Last week, the number of new COVID-19 cases throughout the country exceeded 20,000 for the first time. The situation is estimated by experts as critical. In Okinawa there are no free hospital beds for those with severe symptoms. On Monday, the number of patients in critical condition topped 1,600 for the first time. (ANI/Sputnik)

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(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)