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People wear masks as they cross the Shibuya Scramble in central Tokyo, Feb. 4, 2021.

People wear masks as they cross the Shibuya Scramble in central Tokyo, Feb. 4, 2021. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

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TOKYO — The daily coronavirus count in Japan’s capital city rose slightly Wednesday but stayed below 500, an encouraging sign for a population still living under a state of emergency.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported another 491 people tested positive for the virus, 79 more than the previous day, according to public broadcaster NHK and metro government data. Numbers of newly infected individuals are falling to levels not seen since Dec. 28.

The U.S. military in Japan reported one new infection by 6 p.m. Wednesday, an individual with the U.S. Army already in quarantine as a recent arrival to Japan, according to a Facebook post.

U.S. Army Japan, headquartered at Camp Zama, 26 miles southwest of Tokyo, did not specify the patient’s location. It said that person was tested by Japanese officials, who typically test arriving passengers at the two international airports – Narita and Haneda – that serve Tokyo.

The state of emergency in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures that comprise the greater metro area were extended recently to March 7. Measures are voluntary and ask businesses to close at 8 p.m., employees to work from home and everyone to reduce unnecessary travel.

U.S. military installations in the area have imposed their own restrictions mirroring the Japanese guidelines. Central Tokyo and Yokohama remain off-limits for many U.S. personnel.

news@stripes.com Twitter: @starsandstripes

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