Photo/Illutration Even though there were far fewer visitors to Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 1, people practiced social distancing to avoid COVID-19. (Kazuhiro Nagashima)

Tokyo confirmed 94 severe cases of COVID-19 on Jan. 2, its highest figure since the state of emergency for the novel coronavirus pandemic was lifted in May, as Governor Yuriko Koike pushed for a new declaration to be issued.

The capital also saw 814 fresh COVID-19 cases the same day, metropolitan government officials said.

Severe cases are those involving patients who require the use of a ventilator or an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device, which circulates blood through an artificial lung. The Jan. 2 figure represented an increase of six from the previous day.

The daily average of new COVID-19 cases over a one-week period was 865.4 as of Jan. 1.

Officials said the average daily rate of positive results from polymerase chain reaction and other tests over a one-week period was 10.2 percent as of Dec. 30, the highest figure since the state of emergency was lifted.

The figure marks a sharp increase from the 3-percent level recorded in early November and indicates that infections are spreading through the local community.

On Jan. 1, there were 783 fresh cases in the capital, a figure one official called "astounding for a holiday period."

Nationwide, there were 3,247 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Jan. 1.

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