Abe: "Wuhan Pneumonia Requires Special Vigilance... Thorough Information Gathering Needed"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As the novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China rapidly spreads, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the 21st stated, "Currently, there is no confirmed human-to-human transmission, but the number of patients in China is increasing," and called for thorough measures.

According to NHK, Prime Minister Abe held a meeting with relevant ministers at the Prime Minister's Office on the same day to decide on the response policy to the novel coronavirus. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare officially confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus infection on the 16th. The infected person received treatment at a hospital, was declared fully recovered, and returned home.

The Japanese government decided at the meeting to implement measures such as thoroughly checking the health status at quarantine stations for immigrants and entrants from high-risk infection areas, and to establish a system where suspected infected individuals identified at medical institutions are tested at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, ensuring reliable testing operations.

They also decided to closely cooperate with related ministries and agencies and to make maximum efforts to collect information on the infection status in the affected countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the response status of various countries. Prime Minister Abe emphasized, "Special vigilance is necessary," and urged, "Please thoroughly collect information on the infection occurrence situation and take all possible precautions."

Yoshihide Suga, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, also said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on the same day, "We have decided to strengthen measures such as newly distributing questionnaires to check the health status of entrants arriving by air from Wuhan, China."