Tokyo, Jan 3, 2021, SPA -- The daily number of coronavirus infections totaled 1,337 in Tokyo on Thursday, Kyodo citing metropolitan government officials as saying. This came as Tokyo's daily number of coronavirus infections exceeding the 1,000 mark for the first time since the pandemic began earlier this year and deepening concerns about hospital capacity. Nationwide, the number of daily cases topped 4,000 for the first time, with record new cases also reported in Fukuoka, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Gifu prefectures, according to a Kyodo News tally of figures announced by local governments. The nationwide tally of 4,518 compares with the previous record of 3,881 reported on Saturday, with the number of COVID-19 patients showing serious symptoms rising 13 from the previous day to the highest ever 681. "I would like to ask people to avoid nonessential outings" in Tokyo and other areas where infections are surging, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters. --SPA 00:18 LOCAL TIME 21:18 GMT 0020 www.spa.gov.sa/w1477999