Japan will consider issuing a new emergency declaration after governors in the capital region urged action to cope with soaring COVID-19 cases, the head of the nation's pandemic response said on Saturday.

The government needs to consult with health experts before declaring a state of emergency, Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi told reporters after meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and leaders from three neighboring prefectures.

The request was filed jointly by Tokyo and neighboring Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases soar despite Tokyo's appeal to the public to stay home.

The tally of new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on New Year's Eve was as high as 1,337.