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Japan’s strategy of carefully tracking COVID-19 cases to help contain the outbreak is showing signs of faltering.

The country has seen a surge of untraceable infections in recent days, an early indication that the virus is past the point of controlling without extreme measures.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has yet to declare a state of emergency, but acknowledged Friday that once the infection rate reaches a certain point, “our strategy of slowing down the peak of the infections will instantly fall apart … under the current situation, we are just barely holding up. But I understand we are standing on the edge.”

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Wednesday announced a stay-home order after cases there grew from 19 to 41.

Japan has 2,180 cases total and 59 deaths.

Abe said Saturday he is considering an economic stimulus package “of unprecedented size” to deal with the fallout.

With Post wires