Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tested positive for COVID-19 and has relatively mild symptoms, the government said.
Kishida, 65, developed a cough and slight fever on Saturday night and came up positive in a PCR test, according to a statement by the Cabinet Secretariat. He’s currently resting at the prime minister’s official residence and is expected to resume duties Monday, albeit remotely.
Coronavirus infections in the country have remained near record highs, with 24,780 COVID-19 cases found in Tokyo alone on Sunday. That’s forcing politicians and health care officials to reconsider what steps, if any, are needed to contain the outbreak. The same conundrum is facing countries around the globe, as the arrival of more infectious omicron subvariants has led to higher infection rates even as testing in most areas is on the decline.
