Tokyo reported 602 new cases out of a total 2,810 daily infections in Japan, AP reports.

The country has recorded 168,573 infections and 2,465 deaths since the pandemic began.

The number of new coronavirus infections in Japan’s capital topped 600 in a day for the first time Thursday as experts warned of the increased burden on hospitals.

The surge in infections has placed an added burden on Tokyo’s hospitals, making it harder for many to treat ordinary patients, said Masataka Inokuchi, who is on the city’s virus task force.

“They are not paralysed yet, but the situation is getting very tight,” he said.