TOKYO (Reuters), -The Okinawa area in Japan was the center of a new coronavirus epidemic. There were more than 2,000 cases, and officials considered taking urgent measures to control it.

The number of new infections in southern Prefecture rose to 623 on Tuesday from 225, which is the highest since August during the fifth largest wave of COVID-19 in Japan.

The Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said Tuesday that there had been a sixth wave infection in the region and the Omicron variant, which is highly transmissible, was to blame.

The Japanese health ministry reported that 1,191 Omicron-related cases had been identified in Japan by Tuesday. 479 of these cases were considered to be community transmissions.

Shigeyuki Shitoto, Minister for Health, stated to reporters that “omicron is rapidly increasing” in some areas.

Goto admitted that it wasn’t too soon to predict if there was a sixth round of infection, but Japan’s main metropolitan areas witnessed tallies rise to levels never seen in months.

Tokyo had reported 390 cases, while Osaka’s western prefecture said that 244 were found. This is the highest level since September.

According to NHK’s national broadcaster, more than 2,000 new cases were reported across the country on Wednesday. This is the highest number since Sept. 26, 1996.

According to a prefectural official, Okinawa’s health professionals will discuss Wednesday whether or not to press the central government for urgent measures.

It was the first declaration of quasi-emergency, also known as Japanese quasi-emergency actions since Sept. 30, after which all existing states of emergency or quasi-emergency had been removed for much of 2021.

Hirokazu Matsuno Chief Cabinet Secretary stated to reporters that the central government would respond rapidly to emergency calls.

These measures would include restricting the hours that bars and restaurants can be open.

Okinawa, a 1,500km (932 miles) long island chain, is home to 70% of U.S. military bases in Japan. The Japanese authorities have had to deal with Omicron-related cases and clusters of coronavirus among their service personnel. They also face difficulties in dealing with the Japanese residents who are just 1.5 million.

Matsuno stated that Japan had asked the U.S. military for all possible assistance in fighting the coronavirus, which was causing rising infection rates at Okinawa bases.

A separate U.S. Marine Corps post in Yamaguchi in western Japan reported Tuesday that 182 individuals had been positive for HIV.