The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says experts tasked with assessing the capital's coronavirus situation have raised the alert for medical service provisions to the highest level.

The last time Tokyo's medical alert was at the most serious level was in mid-September.

The metropolitan government on Thursday released findings from analyses conducted by the experts on the situations regarding infections and medical service provisions in Tokyo.

The report shows Tokyo's hospital bed occupancy rate was 51.9 percent as of Wednesday. The rate has stayed above 50 percent since December 14.

The experts say the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has fluctuated at a high level and the number of seriously ill patients has risen significantly.

They note that the numbers of both healthcare workers infected with the virus and people who need urgent care have increased, overwhelming the medical system.

The alert for the infection situation remains at the second-highest level.

But the seven-day average number of new cases on Wednesday was over 2,000 higher than a week before, at 16,324. The nationwide average has risen for eight straight weeks.

The experts are warning of a possible surge in new infections.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko told reporters on Thursday that the capital is in the early phase of the so-called "twindemic" of the flu and the coronavirus, noting that influenza season has just started.