Photo/Illutration The Tokyo metropolitan government holds a meeting to monitor the COVID-19 situation on March 3. (Provided by the Tokyo metropolitan government)

Experts are warning that despite having passed the peak of the sixth wave, novel coronavirus infections in the capital are expected to hover around 10,000 new cases a day for a prolonged period.

At a Tokyo metropolitan government meeting on the coronavirus situation on March 3, they urged residents to be vigilant as cases are unlikely to subside beyond that point anytime soon. 

In addition, the daily count will surge again due to annual end-of-the-fiscal year events, such as graduation ceremonies, and going-away and welcoming parties, experts said. 

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike underscored at a news conference following the meeting that the current wave will continue to take its toll on the capital.

“If the infection situation is prolonged, it will overwhelm the health care system,” she said. “The occupancy rate of hospital beds is over 50 percent, and we are still facing a tough situation.”

She urged residents to continue to exercise anti-virus measures during the end of the fiscal year, such as avoiding commuting at rush hour, to help contain the virus.

Experts project that the weekly daily average of new cases will drop to 8,766 on March 10 but otherwise remain elevated for some time.

The weekly daily average of new infections as of March 2 was 10,690, according to information presented at the meeting.

Cases trended downward after the sixth wave of infections peaked on Feb. 8, at 18,025 cases that day. But the daily figure has been hovering around the 10,000 mark.

That number has remained constant as the ratio of COVID-19 patients under 20 has increased for seven consecutive weeks.

Over the past week, children under 10 accounted for 19 percent of new infections in Tokyo, the largest among age groups.

Experts said infection measures need to be implemented at nurseries, kindergartens and schools.

The BA.2 “stealth” Omicron subvariant has been confirmed in 34 cases as of March 3. Of these, 29 were from community transmission, as the patients had no history of recent travel abroad.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health found, by conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, seven cases suspected to be the BA.2 Omicron subvariant, during the period from Feb. 8 to Feb. 28.

Experts emphasized the importance of the public getting their booster shots at the meeting. They pointed out that the number of new coronavirus infections dropped after 40 percent of all Tokyo residents had received the second vaccine shot, a marker reached during the fifth wave of the pandemic last summer.

As of March 1, 58.3 percent of those 65 or older have received a booster shot, while 21.8 percent of all Tokyo residents have gotten it.

Tokyo officials expect the proportion of those 65 or older who have been boosted to reach 80 percent by the end of March.

About 50 percent of those 18 or older will receive a booster shot by the end of March, officials said.

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