Tokyo’s coronavirus outbreak is severe and could explode in the coming days just as Japan begins its New Year’s holiday period, in which millions of people usually move around the country, the city’s governor has said.

The capital recorded 944 new coronavirus cases, just under the record 949 recorded on Saturday, and medical experts warned that unless the outbreak is checked the city could soon see over 1,000 new patients a day, according to a report by Reuters.

“Please emphasise life over fun,” Governor Yuriko Koike told a news conference, calling on people to stay at home as much as possible over the holiday. “The situation is extremely severe, we are facing up to a huge wave of virus cases we have not seen before,” she added.