Japan’s capital recorded more than 70 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday for its highest tally in a single day, as pressure mounted on the prime minister to order a lockdown.

Japanese cases topped 2,000, and public broadcaster NHK said 78 cases in Tokyo took its tally of infections past 500. Media reports said 7 people in the city had died, five at one hospital.

“This is the greatest increase up to now and is certainly of high concern, and I'm worried about what tomorrow’s figures might show,” Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said.