Omicron infection confirmed in Tokyo

Dec 17, 2021 | News On Japan

Dec 17, 2021 (NHK) - Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials have reported a case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the capital.

A woman in her 20s living in Tokyo was confirmed to be infected on Thursday. She returned from the United States on December 8 and tested negative on arrival.

She developed a fever the next day while isolating at home. She then tested positive on Monday, and her sample was sent for analysis.

A man in his 20s also living in Tokyo is regarded as having had close contact with her, as they met on December 8 and 9.

The man tested positive on Wednesday and his sample is being analyzed.

The man went to watch a soccer game at a stadium near Tokyo on Sunday. Officials are calling on about 80 people who sat near him to be tested.

The government's top spokesperson says measures to detect Omicron at the country's borders are working.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu noted that the infected person had tested positive during the 14-day self-quarantine period. He added, "We have identified the person who was in close contact with her. We don't regard the case as one of so-called community transmission."

Health ministry officials say a staff member at a quarantine station at Kansai International Airport in Osaka has been confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant. It is the first case of Omicron in a quarantine official.

Experts advising the ministry say that when an Omicron infection is confirmed, people who have been near the person should be tested, regardless of how long they were in contact, or whether they were wearing masks.

The experts warn that the number of new coronavirus cases in Japan shows signs of a rebound, even though it remains low.

Authorities across Japan confirmed 190 infections on Thursday. There were two deaths.

Tokyo reported 30 new cases. It was the first time in five weeks that the daily tally in the capital hit 30.

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