Tokyo (dpa) - The Japanese capital, Tokyo, has raised the coronavirus alert level to the highest level, in light of the high number of cases.

Bloomberg News reported that the decision, made Thursday at a meeting of experts, raised the health care system's alert level to the second highest of four levels.

Yesterday, Wednesday, Tokyo recorded 16,878 cases of the virus, compared to 3,546 cases on the first of July.

Cases of the virus are also rising across the country, although severe cases remain low.

Prime Minister Fumi Kishida is scheduled to hold a press conference today, where he is expected to speak about the rapid spread of the coronavirus.