TOKYO: Three Japanese citizens among more than 200 evacuated from China have tested positive for the new coronavirus, Japan's health minister said Thursday (Jan 30).
The three people arrived in Japan on Wednesday, on the first flight to evacuate Japanese citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of a deadly outbreak that has killed 170 people and infected thousands.
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Two of the three had not shown any symptoms, the ministry said, according to NHK.
READ: Wuhan virus death toll rises to 170, more than 1,700 new cases
The three evacuees raise the number of cases in Japan so far to 11, including two people who appear to have contracted the virus without travelling to China.
"In addition to the eight cases, among the people who returned from Wuhan yesterday, infection (with the new coronavirus) has been confirmed in one person with symptoms and two other people who have no symptoms," Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament.
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told lawmakers that the three returnees would be treated in a special medical facility.
A total of 206 Japanese citizens landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Wednesday morning, with health professionals carrying out checks on board and at the airport, but no mandatory quarantine was planned.
A second chartered flight with Japanese evacuees from Wuhan, which is under virtual lockdown, landed in Japan on Thursday with nine people showing symptoms of fever or coughing, broadcaster NHK report.
At least one more chartered flight is expected in the coming days.
READ: Japanese evacuated from Wuhan describe fear in virus epicentre
The new cases come after authorities on Wednesday confirmed a second case involving someone who had not recently travelled to China.
The woman was a tour guide who worked on the same bus as a driver who also contracted the virus without travelling to China.
The driver told authorities he had driven two groups of tourists from Wuhan earlier in January and developed symptoms afterwards.
"The eighth case is the second suspected incident of human-to-human transmission in Japan," Kato said.
"We are in a truly new situation."
READ: Japan confirms Wuhan virus in man who had not been to China
Foreign governments have been flying their citizens out of the area, as the number of deaths jumped and the World Health Organization has voiced "grave concern" about person-to-person spread in three other countries.
READ: Human spread of virus in three countries outside China worrying: WHO chief
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