Emergency measures weighed as Olympic host Tokyo sees record virus cases

Flag bearer Yousuf Almatrooshi of the United Arab Emirates leads his contingent during the athletes' parade at the opening ceremony.

Flag bearer Yousuf Almatrooshi of Team United Arab Emirates leads the team out during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Members of the United Arab Emirates Team are seen during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Flag bearer Yousuf Almatrooshi of Team United Arab Emirates during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Flag bearers Hannah Mills and Mohamed Sbihi of Team Great Britain lead their team out during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Italy's delegation parade during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Flag bearers Harmanpreet Singh and Mary Kom Hmangte of India lead their contingent in the athletes parade during the opening ceremony.

Flag bearers Hedaya Wahba and Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Team Egypt during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Flag bearers Cate Campbell and Patty Mills of Team Australia lead their team during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Flag bearers Anna Korakaki and Eleftherios Petrounias of Team Greece lead their team in during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Flag bearers Yusra Mardini and Tachlowini Gabriyesos of the Refugee Olympic Team lead their team out during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Performers are seen during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach and Japan's Emperor Naruhito wave during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Japanese flag is raised as the national anthem is sung during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Performers are seen during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Performers in action during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Performers dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

A performer is seen acting during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony.

Fireworks illuminate over the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Fireworks illuminate over the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Members of staff hold signage inside the stadium before the opening ceremony.

Kabuki actor Nakamura Kankuro lights an Olympic cauldron during the arrival ceremony for the Olympic torch in Tokyo, Japan.

An Olympic flame torch.

The Blue Impulse Japan Air Self-Defence Force aerobatic display team fly over the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building during the arrival ceremony for the Olympic torch.

People watch a performance by Blue Impulse.

People take photos of the Japan air force aerobatic squadron Blue Impulse.

A general view outside the stadium as fireworks are let off during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Governors of three prefectures near Olympics host Tokyo are likely to ask the government to declare states of emergency for their regions, media said on Wednesday, after Covid-19 infections spiked to a record high in the Japanese capital.

Tokyo recorded 2,848 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest since the pandemic began, and media reported authorities had asked hospitals to prepare more beds for patients amid a surge driven by the Delta variant.

The sharp increase may dampen enthusiasm for the Summer Games despite a rush of medals for Japanese athletes as many worry the influx of athletes and officials could add to the surge.

Tokyo Olympics organisers on Wednesday reported 16 new Games-related Covid-19 cases, for a total of 169 since July 1. Olympic athletes, staff and media must follow strict rules to prevent the virus's spread, including frequent testing.

An International Olympic Committee spokesperson told a news conference the Japanese public should be reassured by steps taken by organisers, while a Tokyo 2020 spokesperson expressed pain over the rise in cases in the capital while urging stakeholders to abide by rules.

The Tokyo surge may spell trouble for Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga, whose support ratings are at their lowest since he took office last September, before a general election this year.

Mr Suga on Tuesday urged people to stay home as much as possible and watch the Olympics on television. He said cancelling the Games was not an option.

Japan has avoided the devastating outbreaks suffered by other nations such as India, Indonesia and the United States, but the fifth wave of the pandemic is piling pressure on Tokyo's hospitals.

“The risk of infection for individuals is the highest ever. It is affecting even ordinary medical care and … is a severe situation,” Koji Wada, a professor at Tokyo's International University of Health and Welfare and an adviser to the government on Covid-19 response, told NHK public television.

Tokyo is already under its fourth state of emergency, set to run until after the Olympics, but unlike stricter steps in many countries, the measures focus mainly on asking restaurants that serve alcohol to close and others to shut down by 8pm.

Many Japanese, however, have grown weary of the largely voluntary restrictions and some experts say the government decision to go ahead with the Olympics sent a confusing message about the need to stay home.

Tokyo's neighbouring prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba are currently under looser “quasi-emergency” restrictions but are also seeing infections spike. Many of their residents travel to the capital.

The Asahi newspaper said those prefectures were likely to ask for stronger restrictions to contain the virus, with Chiba set to do so as early as Wednesday.