Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Thursday that spectators are banned from the Tokyo Olympics set to open in two weeks. The ban came hours after a state of emergency declared by Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga aimed at controlling rising COVID-19 infections. Koike announced the ban after meeting with International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers. “Many people were looking forward to watching the games at the venues, but I would like everyone to fully enjoy watching the games on TV at home,” Koike said. Suga said the state of emergency would go in effect on Monday and last through August 22. This means the Olympics, to be held July 23 through August 8, will operate under emergency measures. “In order to prevent the resurgence of infections from spreading across the country, we need to step up virus prevention measures,” Suga said. Officials reported 896 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, up from 673 a week earlier. New cases on Wednesday hit 920, the highest total since 1,010 were reported on May 13. Experts warned of the possibility of increased infections during the games at a meeting of government advisers. They estimate cases could increase to more than 1,000 a day, which would severely affect health care systems.