Fewer people were seen on the streets of Japan's major cities than normal on Sunday after authorities asked residents to stay home to curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

In Tokyo's Shinjuku district, major department stores and clothing shops shut their doors. Notices of temporary closure were put out at karaoke parlors.

The Japanese government plans to stock up on enough of the anti-flu drug Avigan for two-million people. The drug is now being clinically tested as a treatment for the coronavirus.

The plan is part of a draft emergency economic package, which is expected to be finalized this week.

An IT firm in Tokyo and health care experts have launched an online fund to support medical institutions and groups struggling to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Anyone can donate 1,000 yen, or about 10 dollars, and up through a crowd-funding website operated by IT firm READYFOR.

Health officials confirmed 367 new coronavirus cases across Japan on Saturday. That's a record-high daily increase.

Tokyo officials announced 118 new cases, and 41 cases were confirmed in Osaka.

One hundred and eighteen more people in Tokyo were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus on Saturday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says the patients include girls between the ages of 10 and 19, and men and a woman into their 90's. There is no clear infection route for 81 of them, or nearly 70 percent.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has called on residents to refrain from non-essential, non-urgent outings, following the confirmation of 118 new cases of coronavirus infections in the prefecture.

In a comment released on Saturday, Koike added that there is sufficient capacity to treat patients this weekend, and that those with mild or no symptoms will be moved to hotels in accordance with the health ministry's instructions, as she had announced on Friday.

Sources close to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have told NHK that 118 new cases of coronavirus infections were confirmed on Saturday.

It is the first time for the daily tally to surpass 100 in Japan's capital. Tokyo's cumulative total now stands at 891.

Saturday morning around Tokyo's Ikebukuro station was quieter than usual as people appeared to be following a request to stay home. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government continues to urge against nonessential weekend outings as a way of containing the coronavirus.

Department stores stand shuttered behind posters advising of temporary closures. The district's major electronics stores have also shortened their opening hours.

Tokyo's governor says the city remains at a critical phase in its battle to prevent an explosive rise in coronavirus infections, and that the situation is getting more serious.

Koike Yuriko gave the assessment at a news conference on Friday. She said people should avoid closed, crowded places and close-contact settings.

A group of experts says Tokyo could prevent an explosive spread of the new coronavirus by reducing person-to-person contact by 80 percent. The group advises authorities to immediately take appropriate measures.

The projection was conducted by a group that includes Professor Nishiura Hiroshi of Hokkaido University, a member of a government taskforce on cluster infections.

Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and the main governing Liberal Democratic Party have agreed to give roughly 2,800 dollars to households whose income has fallen to a certain level due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Abe and LDP policy chief Kishida Fumio agreed on the 300,000-yen cash handout on Friday as part of discussions on an emergency economic package.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has outlined the steps the city's government would take if the prime minister declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak.

Koike said in a briefing on Friday that she will likely ask residents to stay at home, and request public facilities and event organizers to suspend the use of venues. She said specific requests would be decided after the central government issues relevant guidelines.

Japan's health minister says local governments should consider asking people with mild symptoms of the coronavirus to self-isolate at their homes or in hotels.

Kato Katsunobu told reporters on Friday that the ministry will allow local governments to decide whether people with mild or no symptoms should be hospitalized. It wants to give priority to seriously ill patients in Tokyo and other areas where the number of cases is rapidly increasing.

Sources familiar with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's health policy say officials are working to secure hotels for currently hospitalized coronavirus patients whose symptoms are mild.

The sources say doctors will be at the hotels to monitor patients. They add that patients will be hospitalized again if their symptoms worsen.