HIROSHIMA: Hiroshima Prefecture is considering expanding its ongoing novel coronavirus pre-emergency designation to all 23 municipalities–14 cities and nine towns–in the western Japan prefecture, informed sources said Wednesday.

The pre-emergency status currently covers 10 cities and three towns, including the city of Hiroshima, the capital of the prefecture.

The prefectural government will make a decision while monitoring the local infection situation and holding consultations with the central government, according to the sources.

The prefecture was put under the state of pre-emergency over COVID-19 on Sunday, along with Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, and the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.

Eating and drinking establishments in the 13 municipalities currently in the pre-emergency stage are being asked to end daily operations by 8 p.m. and suspend the serving of alcoholic beverages.

The number of confirmed daily COVID-19 cases in Hiroshima Prefecture hit a record high of 672 on Monday. New cases came to 588 on Tuesday.

“Infections are spreading at an incredible pace,” Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki told an online meeting of the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association on Tuesday.