Back home, 3 Japanese tested positive of China virus

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - After returning home from China, three Japanese citizens were confirmed positive of the novel coronavirus which originated in central China last month, according to local media.

Japan’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that the three people returned from Wuhan on a government-chartered flight tested positive of the fatal coronavirus, Kyodo News reported.

The virus which originated in Wuhan city, the central Hubei province, caused at least 170 deaths while nearly 7,711 others were infected with the virus which is said to have transmitted to humans from animals, particularly bats.

The virus has raised alarm globally with cases reported across Asia, Europe, the U.S. and Canada.

The U.S. and Japan on Wednesday evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, while some other countries are in talks with China to bring their citizens back home.

The Japanese government evacuated 206 of its citizens from the quarantined city via a charter plane.

The ministry added that of the three who have been hospitalized, one is in stable condition while two are without symptoms.

Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases said that it was the first time outside China that a person without symptoms has been confirmed to have been infected with the virus.

The authorities said that Japan on Thursday brought home 210 more of its citizens on a second government-chartered flight of whom some displayed symptoms such as coughing.

Meanwhile, South Korea has said Thursday it is expecting to send a chartered flight to Wuhan later this night to bring home its citizens, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Further, Seoul and Pyongyang today temporarily shut down their joint liaison office in North Korea border town of Kaesong due to fear of the virus.

Researchers found that the disease spreads via human-to-human contacts, forcing China to close educational institutions and public transport. At least 30 provinces of China are on alert because of the health crisis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) met twice last week on the health crisis.

It will convene an emergency panel later today to discuss the threat of the deadly virus.

On Wednesday, the global health agency warned that the spread of the virus outside of China is of “grave concern.” It called on international community "to be on alert" to fight the novel coronavirus.