Japanese man confirmed as coronavirus patient after returning from Hawaii vacation
A Japanese man who recently visited Hawaii for 11 days is one of the newly confirmed coronavirus cases.
“We do believe this is a serious concern. I just want to assure you that this scenario is exactly what we’ve been preparing for and are prepared to respond,” said Gov. David Ige at a news conference at the Hawaii Department of Health this afternoon. “Know that this raises a concern for all of us.”
The male in his 60s was on Maui from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 and then traveled to Honolulu from Feb. 3 to 7, where he stayed at Grand Waikikian by Hilton Grand Vacations, a timeshare property.
Hawaii health officials said they are working on “identifying any potential exposure and tracking close contacts.”
The man living in Aichi Prefecture in central Japan had a 102-degree fever on Feb. 8, according to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The man was hospitalized, subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia and tested positive for the virus, called COVID-19. As of 3:34 p.m. today, the virus has killed over 1,500 in China and infected more than 67,000 globally, according to AP.
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Japan recorded its second death from the virus, with the individual having no travel history to China where the outbreak is occurring.