LOC11:13
08:13 GMT
TOKYO, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- The Japanese government will continue taking steps for preventing the spread of a new coronavirus strain, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday amid the surge of infections in China.
In a press conference, Suga said " We need to be more vigilant, as the number of patients in China has been rising, the government Japan will steadily take preventive measures, such as screenings at ports of entry,"
Japan will pay close attention to discussions at an emergency meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) to be held later in the day, he added.
Japan confirmed its first case of infection last week after a Chinese man who visited the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the deadly outbreak likely originated, tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Japanese authorities have stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, as many Chinese tourists are expected to visit Japan during the Lunar New Year holidays from Jan. 24 to 30.
On Wednesday, about 440 people in China were confirmed to have been infected with the virus, including patients in the capital Beijing and Shanghai, nine of whom have died. (end)
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