A Japanese government panel has discussed measures to prevent coronavirus infections for the "Go To Eat" campaign, designed to help the restaurant industry hit hard by the outbreak.

The experts met in Tokyo on Friday.

The minister in charge of the coronavirus response says no decision will be made on whether to add Tokyo to the government's domestic tourism promotional campaign until experts weigh in on the matter next month.

Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi made the statement at a meeting of the Lower House cabinet standing committee on Wednesday.

The Japanese government is pushing forward with its plan to reopen the economy. It comes as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the country.

Part of the government's strategy is the "Go To Travel" campaign. It officially kicked off on Wednesday and offers discounts on transportation and accommodation, and coupons that can be used at tourist facilities and souvenir shops.

The Japanese government's travel incentive program has started to promote domestic tourism hit hard by the coronavirus.

The "Go To Travel" campaign involves discounts for travel costs, and issuing coupons that can be used at tourist facilities and souvenir shops. Discounts became available on Wednesday.

Japan's trade minister says the government will decide when to start its "Go To Event" campaign while closely monitoring the extent of the coronavirus outbreak.

The campaign is part of a government-proposed package aimed at spurring consumer spending, as the economy has been hit hard by the pandemic. It is aimed at offering discounts on tickets for concerts, sporting events and movies.

Tokyo is reporting another 237 confirmed infections --- well above the numbers seen when businesses began reopening. But the government says it can balance plans to kick start the economy and the higher case numbers.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide said, "The government's basic stance is to prevent the virus from spreading, and continue a phased reopening of the economy."

The Japanese government has officially announced it will launch a domestic travel campaign on July 22 that excludes trips to and from Tokyo.

Transport and tourism minister Akaba Kazuyoshi made the announcement at a news conference on Friday.

The rising number of coronavirus cases has become a stumbling block for plans to boost Japan's economy. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported a new daily high for infections on Thursday, breaking a record set only a week before.

The capital confirmed 286 cases -- a return to a recent trend following slightly lower counts.

A governor in northern Japan has expressed concern that the central government's nationwide travel campaign could help spread coronavirus infections.

The government's Go To Travel Campaign, aimed at boosting domestic tourism with offers of discounts and subsidies, kicks off on July 22.

On June 21, 2016 Honda applied with to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the terms "Hydronaut" and "Hydrogenaut." Assuming success, both terms were to be applied to an endeavor "Providing technological and scientific information about fuel cell vehicles; Providing a website featuring technological and scientific information about fuel cell vehicles." After being published for opposition, both applications were left to die, their abandonment dates listed as January 20, 2020. CarBuzz discovered that two days later, January 22, Honda re-applied with the U.S. PTO to trademark the same two terms for the same service. It's possible the Japanese automaker will sit on them again, to no apparent purpose. Nevertheless, someone inside the company has the aim of one day spreading the hydrogen gospel. The alternative fuel could certainly use converts. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have trotted out the occasional fuel-cell electric vehicle over the past decade or so, but the Japanese and South Korean automakers have been especially vocal about getting FCEVs mainstream. Toyota copied the Prius playbook for the Mirai, sinking noteworthy sums of money into an ungainly first generation to get early-adopter butts in seats, then rolling out a svelte second generation gunning for mainstream appeal. We saw how that turned out with the Prius. The problem with the much more handsome Mirai is that even in California, only fringe greenies are lured by the siren song of hydrogen at the moment. Until the infrastructure expands enough to achieve regular contact with the average driver, and permit travel outside of narrow corridors, that situation won't change quickly. Therefore, Honda could do itself an enormous favor with a splashy online education effort, likewise a favor for every other hydrogen-invested automaker and the dim prospect of the so-called hydrogen highway getting filled out in our lifetimes. BMW might want to lend Honda a coding hand, in fact, the German automaker restating its commitment to hydrogen in an interview with The Telegraph. Dr. Jürgen Guldner, the automaker's VP for fuel cell projects, told the UK newspaper, "We see fuel cells helping us to convert all our cars to zero emissions over the next two decades," and, "We don't see it as competition for the battery electric vehicle, but as a further offer to our customers." BMW intends to release a fleet of third-generation FCEVs based on the X5 by the end of 2022, Guldner saying that price parity between hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and traditional ICE vehicles could be achieved as soon as 2025. Related Video: