Society

Japan confirms first deaths among COVID-19 patients with the omicron variant

Jan 15 (Japan Times) - Japan confirmed its first deaths among people infected with the omicron coronavirus variant Saturday.

The Shizuoka Municipal Government said that a man who died on Tuesday at a medical institution was confirmed to have been infected with the omicron variant based on genomic testing. He was elderly and had severe pre-existing conditions.

The Chiba Prefectural Government said that an elderly woman who also died Tuesday had been infected with the highly contagious variant as well. She had a pre-existing disease that affected her circulatory system.

The woman was a close contact with a family member infected with the coronavirus and she was hospitalized from early January after displaying COVID-19 symptoms, including a fever. She had received two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Flooding Hits Temporary Housing in Quake-Stricken Wajima

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Russian military plane intrudes into Japanese airspace, Tokyo lodges protest

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Kishida vows in meeting with Zelenskyy continued support for Ukraine

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Victim number increases to seven after torrential downpours in Ishikawa Pref.

Seven people are dead in the wake of torrential downpours in Japan's central Ishikawa Prefecture that have caused rivers to flood and mudslides across the Noto region. Some people living in temporary shelters following the New Year's Day earthquake are once again facing recovery efforts, this time from flooding. (NHK)

First Snow of Season Observed at Mount Rishiri

Signs of winter are already arriving. Mount Rishiri in Hokkaido recorded the first snowfall of the season on Sunday, making it the first observed in Japan this year.

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