A man wearing a protective face mask crosses the street amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Tokyo, Japan July 30, 2020. Picture taken with slow shutter speed.(Photo by=REUTERS/Issei Kato)

[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike warned on Friday (Jul 31) that the Japanese capital could declare a state of emergency if the coronavirus situation deteriorated further, after new cases jumped by a record single-day high of 463.

"If the situation worsens, Tokyo would have to think about issuing its own state of emergency," Koike said, imploring residents to follow health guidelines to avoid that happening. On Monday, Japan's economy minister said the government will urge businesses to aim for 70 per cent telecommuting and enhance other social distancing measures amid a rise in coronavirus cases among workers, some infected during after-work socialising.

Though Japan has largely avoided the mass infections that have killed tens of thousands overseas, a record surge in cases during the past week in Tokyo and other major urban areas has experts worried the country will face a second wave.