© Getty ImagesJapan considering state of emergency amid spike in Tokyo coronavirus cases
Japan is considering a state of emergency in Tokyo amid a spike in coronavirus infections, according to multiple reports.
Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday according to NHK World. He said the move could protect people's lives.
Yasutoshi also called on people to spend the holidays only with their families, the news outlet reports.
Tokyo reported 1,337 new infections on Thursday, according to Bloomberg News, setting a record as infections rise due in part to the cold weather.
The news outlet notes that a handful of areas reported record cases, and domestic media predicts that total confirmed infections on Thursday will top 4,000, setting a new daily record for the country.
The report comes as Japan banned nonresident foreign nationals from visiting between Dec. 28 through January citing the risk of the new, highly infectious strain of the coronavirus found in the U.K.