A resurgence in COVID-19 has hit many close aides to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, raising concerns about day-to-day operations and the risk of Japan's leader becoming infected.
With Japan grappling with its seventh wave of the coronavirus, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno, the public face of the administration and the official responsible for crisis management, tested positive for COVID-19 on July 23. He isolated at home until resuming in-person work on Tuesday.
Three of Kishida's eight executive secretaries — who are in charge of the prime minister's daily schedule and policy coordination on key issues — have also tested positive in recent days.