Japan this year has experienced a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.- The surge has prompted calls to cancel or postpone the Tokyo
Olympics . - The US State Department just advised citizens not to travel to Japan.
The US State Department is warning Americans to not travel to Japan because of a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Two months ahead of the Olympics, the department on Monday issued a "$4" advisory, the highest warning against travel.
There have been mounting calls inside Japan to cancel or postpone the Olympics - where spectators from abroad were already barred - amid the country's
An online petition to cancel the Olympics, which went live last Wednesday, has garnered more than $4.
The billionaire SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son also joined the $4, which is scheduled to begin July 23.
"Currently more than 80% of people want the Olympics to be postponed or canceled. Who and on what authority is it being forced through?" $4 on Saturday.
A state of emergency in Tokyo has been extended until the end of May to try to contain the spread of the virus, as only $4 so far.
Japan has recorded more than 722,600 coronavirus cases, with more than 12,300 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.