TOKYO -- Some of the Japanese capital's busiest spots were bereft of the usual crowds this weekend after authorities urged citizens to stay home for the weekend as a record rise in new coronavirus cases stirred fears of an explosive increase to come.
Three straight days of new cases numbering 40 or more pushed Tokyo's total of confirmed infections to nearly 300 -- the highest for any region in Japan. In a further cause for worry, the number of those for which transmission routes remain unknown also increased rapidly.
