Governor: 293 more infected with virus in Tokyo

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Tokyo hit a record 293 on Friday, the second straight day of COVID-19 record numbers in Japan's capital.

"We have increased the warning level to 2 and are requesting 2,700 beds. Medical centers are currently making preparations," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters, urging social distancing, regularly disinfecting of hands and other measures to curb the outbreak.

Virus cases in Tokyo were confirmed at 286 Thursday, setting off worries the economy had reopened too quickly.

Tokyo was taken off the area eligible for discounts, set to start next week, under the government "Go To campaign" to encourage travel and tourism within Japan.

Japan has never had a total lockdown but asked businesses to close and people to work from home in an "emergency," starting in April.

That has been gradually lifting.

Koike reiterated case increases partly reflect aggressive testing.

The city is aiming for testing capacity of 10,000 a day, and can now handle 6,500 tests daily.

Japan has so far avoided the massive cases of the hardest hit nations, at fewer than 24,000 confirmed cases and about 1,000 deaths.

Japan has been trying to keep economic activity going while avoiding the virus' spread, a precarious balancing act of opening restaurants and theaters with limited seating, and having store clerks work behind plastic shielding.