The government said Friday that Seiko Noda, minister in charge of gender equality and children's policies, has been infected with the novel coronavirus, the first confirmed case among incumbents of the Japanese Cabinet.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike the same day warned that the more transmissible BA.2 form of the Omicron variant has been becoming dominant "rapidly" in new infections recently in the capital.
Suspected cases of the subvariant in the seven days through March 21 accounted for around 52 percent, the metropolitan government said. On Friday, it confirmed 7,982 new COVID-19 cases, up around 700 from a week earlier.
Noda had a slight fever in the morning and later tested positive for the virus, according to the Cabinet Office. She was not in close contact with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other ministers.
Noda is in charge of launching a new government agency coordinating policies on children. Deliberations for the relevant bill will start after she recovers, said Tsuyoshi Takagi, Diet affairs chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Noda will stay at home until April 11 at the earliest, said the Cabinet Office.
Related coverage:
Japan to allow up to 10,000 visitors daily from April 10: spokesman
Japan eases COVID-19 warning against travel to 106 nations
West part of Shanghai begins lockdown amid COVID resurgence
