Japan Tour Bus Driver ‘Never In China’ Contracts Coronavirus

NARA, JP. (THECOUNT) — Japanese authorities say, a tour bus driver, with no recent travel to China, has contracted the novel strain of coronavirus in Nara, Japan.

According to Japanese officials, the 60-something man drove tourists visiting from Wuhan in early January, marking the first person-to-person transmission of the deadly virus in Japan, the official added.

The man, from Nara in western Japan, drove two groups of Wuhan tourists earlier in January and was hospitalised on Saturday with flu-like symptoms, the health ministry said.

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the country had confirmed two new cases, bringing the total so far in Japan to six.

“One of them has no record of visiting Wuhan, and drove tourists from Wuhan on a bus twice in January,” reports YahooNews.

A health ministry official confirmed to AFP that there was “no information” that the man had been anywhere in China recently, including Wuhan.

“If this is true then he might have been infected by tourists from Wuhan. And if so, this would be the first person-to-person transmission in Japan,” the official added.

The other cases so far confirmed in Japan all involve people who have been to Wuhan.

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Wuhan, the sprawling capital of Central China’s Hubei province, is a commercial center divided by the Yangtze and Han rivers. The city contains many lakes and parks, including expansive, picturesque East Lake. Nearby, the Hubei Provincial Museum displays relics from the Warring States period, including the Marquis Yi of Zeng’s coffin and bronze musical bells from his 5th-century B.C. tomb – wikipedia.