Japan recorded 503 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, its biggest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, as a state of emergency took effect but commuters still crowded some trains into Tokyo despite government calls to stay at home, Reuters reports.

The jump in new Covid-19 cases, including 144 in the capital, underscored the struggle of Japanese authorities to contain the outbreak without imposing a sweeping, mandatory lockdown on the population as most countries overseas have done.

A combination picture shows passersby wearing protective face masks walking at Kabukicho entertainment and shopping district in Tokyo, Japan on March 27, 2020, and the same spot on April 8, 2020, as less than usual passersby are seen on the street after the government announced a state of emergency for the capital, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease. — Reuters
A combination picture shows passersby wearing protective face masks walking at Kabukicho entertainment and shopping district in Tokyo, Japan on March 27, 2020, and the same spot on April 8, 2020, as less than usual passersby are seen on the street after the government announced a state of emergency for the capital, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease. — Reuters

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