Tokyo governor says mutant strains of Covid-19 becoming dominant

The number of new Covid-19 cases among younger people are on the rise in Japan. Credit: Reuters File Photo

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday that the number of new Covid-19 cases among younger people are on the rise and called on residents to further curtail their movements.

Mutant strains of the virus are becoming dominant, and fears are growing that the current surge could exceed the third wave that crested in January, Koike said at a meeting of health experts.

Tokyo plans to ask the central government on Thursday to extend the current state of emergency, local media reported, citing unnamed officials.