Rising virus totals force rethink of bars, schools, tourism

MITO, Japan (AP) — Bars may be off the menu and many schools look set to remain closed for months to come as the new coronavirus causes more illness and death in many countries and the U.S. South and West.

India's record daily increase of nearly 32,7000 cases pushed its total close to 1 million and led authorities to reimpose a three-day lockdown and night curfew in the popular western beach state of Goa, two weeks after it was reopened to tourists.

The top elected official in the popular backpacking destination, Pramod Sawant, said people were flouting social distancing norms. Nearly 40,000 people were fined about $1.30 each in the past two weeks for not wearing face masks.

In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he might have to rethink plans for a domestic tourism campaign to help offset losses from keeping borders closed to foreign visitors. Tokyo's new cases have been rising by hundreds daily.

“We are looking at the situation with a high level of nervousness,” Abe said of his “Go To" campaign offering discounts for traveling within Japan which was set to start next week.

As is true of many places, Tokyo's nightlife — bars, clubs, cabarets and karaoke parlors — has been seen as a weak link in efforts to contain the virus. But the most recent data show the illness also spreading in offices and among older Japanese, in nursery schools and senior facilities, undoing earlier progress.

The Japanese government is constrained by how far it can restrict businesses and public activities and it never imposed a full lockdown. Officials have struggled over the trade-off between curbing the spread of the virus and protecting the ailing economy.

In Australia, where some have advocated a policy of virus eradication rather than suppression, Prime Minister Scott...