To contain the spike in COVID-19 cases, the Tokyo governor on November 25 said that the government will urge shorter working hours for bars and restaurants, apart from asking residents to stay indoors as much as possible.

Japan in recent times has reported over 500 new COVID-19 cases daily and Tokyo on November 25 reported a total of 54 new cases- highest since a state of emergency was lifted in May.

"We need to have everybody cooperate to prevent further spread of the virus in a tough, concentrated way," reported hindustantimes.com quoting Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

"We realise this is an extremely important time of year for business owners, but if we don’t stop this now it’s just going to keep going," he further said.

It may be mentioned here that country's economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura had warned that medical resources were becoming strained in parts of the country.

Nishimura further said that the next three weeks would be critical to stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

Stronger infection measures were needed to avoid another state of emergency, he said.

The western city of Osaka, which is among areas grappling with a similar surge in cases, was, along with the northern city of Sapporo, one of two areas for which a domestic “Go-To Travel” promotion campaign was partially halted on November 24.

The city is also asking bars and restaurants to shorten their hours, with Governor Ichiro Matsui saying the measure was needed to reduce the burden on medical workers.

“We must not get used to the coronavirus, and we must not underestimate it,” reported hindustantimes.com quoting Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Japan Medical Association.

The travel promotion offering fare and hotel discounts is part of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s efforts to boost regional economies but has been criticised over the risk that it could carry the virus from major cities to the countryside.

It may be mentioned here that there are 401 active COVID-19 cases in Tokyo as of November 25, with national figures around 1,500 and over 2,000 people have died so far.