AKITA (TR) – Two foreign language teachers in Yurihonjo City have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the prefectural government said last week, reports the Akita Sakigake Shimpo (Mar. 27).
At a press conference on March 27, governor Norihisa Satake said that one of the teachers is a woman in her 20s and the other is a man in his 30s.
The condition of neither teacher, both of whom are Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) of English at elementary schools, is considered serious. Their nationalities were not disclosed.
On March 19, the pair was among 8 teachers (all ALTs) who traveled to Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture in two cars. They returned 3 days later.
Two days later, the two teachers began suffering from fevers (over 37 degrees Celsius) and showing other symptoms of COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus. They then tested positive.
“They did not come into contact with children [after their return], but they may have come into contact with staff members in some way,” said Satake.
Of the other six teachers, four of them tested negative for coronavirus. They remaining two were scheduled to be tested on March 28.
The cases are the third and fourth in the prefecture.
Number of infections rising
The spread of the coronavirus continues in Japan. According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of coronavirus infections rose by 169 on Sunday to 2,605.
Of that figure, 712 cases are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which until recently was docked at Yokohama Port.
