Photo/Illutration Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike comes to work at the Tokyo metropolitan government building on July 6 after winning re-election the day before. (Rei Kishitsu)

Tokyo confirmed 102 new cases of COVID-19 on July 6, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government, marking the fifth consecutive day the number in the capital has exceeded 100. 

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, fresh from winning re-election on July 5, vowed to address the recent spike in novel coronavirus cases by following up on her campaign pledges. 

In a news conference on July 6, Koike pledged to start preparations for establishing a Tokyo version of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

She had made the promise as part of her re-election campaign as the capital braced for a possible second wave of novel coronavirus infections. 

Koike said the Tokyo operation will be the "hub" to analyze and evaluate relevant information from the metropolitan government and municipalities, along with hospitals and research institutes. 

 "It will make appropriate decisions for crisis management and disseminate accurate information to Tokyo residents," she said.

The organization will also cooperate with the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the health ministry’s cluster task force, Koike said. 

The Tokyo governor also said that she will seek to reinforce the capital's testing capacity by introducing the latest equipment and expand the number of tests for the coronavirus from 6,000 to 10,000 per day.

She also said she will propose setting up a new consultation body for municipal governments to conduct PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing for employees working in Tokyo’s entertainment areas and to take countermeasures against COVID-19 outbreaks. 

She is also considering supporting health centers with additional personnel and municipal governments with increased financial assistance.

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