Koike had requested restaurants that serve alcohol and karaoke parlors to close by 10 p.m. until the end of August to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But she extended the measure for stores in central Tokyo.

The capital confirmed 250 new cases of infection on Thursday, bringing the accumulated total in Tokyo to over 20,000 people. As the number of elderly who fall seriously ill with COVID-19 is increasing, Koike urged residents to step up efforts to prevent the spread of the virus within households.