Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu says the government is on the highest alert following the recent nationwide surge in coronavirus infections and is taking steps to curb the spread.

Kato was speaking at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

He noted that the national daily tally of new coronavirus cases has topped 1,000 on a number of occasions. He said more than 100 daily cases have been confirmed not only in Tokyo but also in the prefectures of Hokkaido, Osaka, Aichi and others.

Kato said that the government will offer assistance to local governments tackling rising infections in their communities. Such help includes conducting large-scale intensive virus tests and sending experts on cluster infections as well as public healthcare personnel.

He added that the government will implement tougher measures against cluster infections based on the views of experts and step up efforts to keep the public informed on the infection status.