2nd infection confirmed by ministry

TOKYO: Japan’s health ministry said yesterday it has confirmed a second infection in the country with a deadly respiratory virus that has been rapidly spreading from the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

The patient is a man in his 40s from Wuhan who is on a trip to Japan, the ministry said, adding that he has been sent to hospital in Tokyo and is in a stable condition.

Two family members he travelled with and about 20 staff at medical facilities in Japan who have been in close contact with the man are being monitored, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. They are currently not showing any symptoms such as a high fever, it said.

The Foreign Ministry cautioned Japanese nationals against travelling to Hubei Province, raising the warning level to 3 on its four-point scale. The ministry had issued a level 2 warning to Wuhan, the provincial capital, on Thursday, advising against nonessential travel.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a press conference the Japanese and Chinese governments are “working together at various levels” to deal with the outbreak.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed Cabinet members in the morning to ensure thorough border control checks, provide necessary information quickly to the public and protect the safety of Japanese nationals living overseas.

Japan confirmed its first infection with the pneumonia-causing virus earlier this month. It involved a Chinese national who returned to his home in Japan after travelling to Wuhan.

The second patient arrived in the country last Sunday after contracting a fever five days before, according to the ministry. The case was confirmed on the first day of the Lunar New Year holidays, when many Chinese are expected to travel.