Matsuno infected with novel coronavirus

Jiji Press

10:14 JST, July 24, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government said Saturday that Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno was confirmed the same day to be infected with the novel coronavirus.

The top government spokesman is currently resting at home, and his duties, such as daily press conferences, will be performed by officials including Seiji Kihara and Yoshihiko Isozaki, both deputy chief cabinet secretaries, for the time being, according to government officials.

It remains to be seen when Matsuno will be back to work.

After developing a fever Friday afternoon, Matsuno took a polymerase chain reaction test on Saturday. The PCR test showed a positive result. None at the prime minister’s office have had close contact with Matsuno.

Matsuno, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is the 102nd lawmaker in Japan to have been infected with the virus.

On Thursday, Matsuno, a member of the House of Representatives, attended a meeting of the LDP faction previously led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot to death on July 8.

On Friday, he met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other ministers for talks on COVID-19 measures. Matsuno was seen coughing at a press conference on the day.