Experts tasked with assessing the coronavirus situation in Tokyo are calling on residents to be on the alert for a resurgence of infections. They say the number of new daily cases may double from the current figure to reach nearly 30,000 in mid-January.

In a panel meeting on Thursday, Tokyo officials reported the seven-day average of new cases in Tokyo stood at 14,290 on Wednesday. The figure is about 120 percent of the previous week, and exceeds 100 percent for seven weeks in a row.

The experts said the daily count could exceed 20,000 in two weeks if the infection continues to spread at this rate.

The officials also reported the BA.5 Omicron subvariant, which has been dominant in the capital, has declined to about 70 percent of the cases and is being replaced by other subvariants such as BQ.1.1, known to be easily transmissible.

Disease Control and Prevention Center Director Ohmagari Norio urged the public to be cautious. He said the risk of infection may rise sharply as rooms become less frequently ventilated during winter and new variants become predominant.