TOKYO -- Daily COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on Tuesday hit a record high, with 2,848 new infections, in a sign of a growing outbreak even as the Olympics take place in the Japanese capital despite the state of emergency.

Tokyo is in the midst of a state of emergency that was declared on July 12. Last week, the first-ever postponed Olympic Games began without spectators.

Tokyo also reported on Tuesday two new deaths and 82 severely ill patients due to COVID. The number of severely ill patients was down from 160 on Jan. 20, as more elderly people, who are more likely to suffer severely, get vaccinated.

With the jump on Tuesday, the seven-day average of new cases in the capital is now 1,762, up 49.4% from a week ago. The previous daily high for the city was on 2,520, recorded on Jan. 7.

Record-breaking new infections on Tuesday signal a resurgence of the virus and a further rise in COVID cases during the Olympics, partly due to the fast-spreading delta variant.

Most Olympic events are being held without spectators to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Organizers will soon decide on spectator limits for the Paralympic Games, which are set to begin on Aug. 24 after the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Although organizers are seeking to hold the Games with spectators, the rising number of COVID cases is casting a shadow over those plans.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said earlier on Tuesday the Metropolitan Government was asking hospitals to prepare more beds for COVID-19 patients as the Olympic host city grapples with spreading infections. Koike stressed, "It is important for young people to get vaccinated."

The virus is spreading relatively rapidly among young people, with 951 cases on Tuesday for people in their 20s, 610 in their 30s and 466 in their 40s, while there were only 78 cases among those over 65 years old.