The Athletes Village is pictured ahead the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games that have been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Tokyo, Japan July 15, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Virus cases at 6-month high in Tokyo before Olympics

World

TOKYO — Coronavirus cases in Tokyo have surged above 1,300 for a six-month high, just one week before the Olympics.

There are concerns a dramatic increase could flood hospitals during the Olympics, which start on July 23.

WATCH: Tokyo sees highest COVID cases since May, days before Olympic Games

Tokyo is under a fourth state of emergency. It began Monday and requires restaurants and bars to close early and not serve alcohol through the Olympics, which end in early August.

The tally Thursday is the highest since 1,485 were recorded on Jan. 21, when Japan was under an earlier state of emergency. It's an increase from 1,149 cases on Wednesday.

New daily cases have been steadily climbing since mid-June. Health experts say cases could hit several thousand during the games. Last week, organizers banned local fans at most Olympic events.

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Virus cases at 6-month high in Tokyo before Olympics first appeared on the PBS News website.

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