Coronavirus death toll rises to 7 in Japan

February 27, 2020

Tokyo--Two more deaths linked to the COVID-19 coronavirus were reported in Japan on Wednesday, bringing the coronavirus death toll in the country to seven.

The health ministry announced the death of an infected man in his 80s in Tokyo, while the northern prefecture of Hokkaido saw its first fatal COVID-19 case.

The Tokyo man had diabetes, and he died apparently of pneumonia, Tokyo metropolitan government officials said. His infection was confirmed on Feb. 18, but the infection route is unclear, they said.

In Hokkaido, an elderly person in the city of Hakodate died of viral pneumonia Tuesday, and his positive test result for the coronavirus became available Wednesday, according to the city government.

The person showed the symptom of coughing Feb. 16 and was admitted to a medical institution the following day.

The Hakodate government declined to disclose details of the latest fatality, citing the bereaved family's wishes.

The death toll in Japan includes four fatal cases among former passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

According to the health ministry, more than 160 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in Japan as of noon Wednesday, including 15 who had returned from China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, on government-chartered planes.

Also on Wednesday, the ministry said five Diamond Princess passengers and nine crew members have been newly confirmed infected, bringing the total infection cases from the ship to 705. Jiji Press