A bodyguard of Defense Minister Taro Kono has tested positive for the novel coronavirus but Kono has tested negative, police and the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The bodyguard, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department, developed a fever earlier Tuesday and was confirmed positive through a polymerase chain reaction test. The infection route is unknown, the police said.
Kono tested negative the same day. His work schedule will not be affected, according to the ministry.
Three others close to the minister were also confirmed negative for COVID-19, the ministry said.
The bodyguard's infection comes at a time when Japan is seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, with the Tokyo metropolitan area and other urban centers such as Osaka and Aichi prefectures reporting record numbers of single-day cases in recent days.