COVID-19 Variant Virus Spreads to Japan... Infection Confirmed in Pilot in His 30s

First Case Confirmed at Commercial Medical Institution, Not Airport Quarantine Station

Crowded streets of Tokyo, Japan despite the spread of COVID-19 (Tokyo EPA=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The fear of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant that began in the United Kingdom is spreading to Japan. Although the Japanese government has implemented entry restrictions, COVID-19 variant cases that were not detected at airport quarantine stations have already occurred.

According to Japan's NHK on the 27th, a man in his 30s who is an aircraft pilot residing in Tokyo and a woman in her 20s, his family member, were confirmed to be infected with the COVID-19 variant virus the day before. Notably, they were diagnosed positive through a general medical institution rather than an airport quarantine station. This is the first time in Japan that a COVID-19 variant virus has been identified outside of airport quarantine stations.

The man stayed in London, United Kingdom, and entered Japan on the 16th of this month, while the woman had never visited the UK. However, the man was excluded from airport quarantine because he is an aircraft pilot.

If the variant virus was introduced through this man, it effectively means that the transmission of the COVID-19 variant virus has begun within Japan.

At a press conference the day before, Takaji Wakita, director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan, stated, "Although not all viral genes have been identified, there is a possibility that infections with mutated viruses will increase in the future."

Previously, five people arriving from the United Kingdom were confirmed to be infected with the COVID-19 variant virus through airport quarantine station tests in Japan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.