Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tests positive for Covid-19, cancels Tunisia trip

Kishida tested positive in a PCR test after developing a cough and slight fever on Saturday, but plans to continue working online

He has cancelled a planned trip to Tunisia for an African development conference and will reportedly attend the meeting online instead

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Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) receiving a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Tokyo earlier this month. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:00pm, 21 Aug 2022Updated: 8:31pm, 21 Aug 2022

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, forcing him to cancel a planned trip to Tunisia to attend a key conference on African development, according to a source close to him.

Kishida developed a cough and slight fever on Saturday night and came up positive in a PCR test, a statement by the Cabinet Secretariat said. He is currently resting at the prime minister’s official residence.

The 65-year-old, who recently returned from a week-long vacation, would work remotely from his residence from Monday and join the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) online, the source said. His planned visit to the Middle East following TICAD is also likely to be cancelled.

Kishida’s infection comes as coronavirus cases in Japan have remained near record highs, with 24,780 cases found in Tokyo alone on Sunday. That is forcing politicians and healthcare 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.

Kishida, who has been calling on the elderly to get their fourth Covid-19 vaccination, got a booster shot himself earlier this month.

The end of pandemic restrictions on businesses in late March helped spur the Japanese economy. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than half of Japan’s economic output, led the growth, as did capital expenditure. The relaxing of Covid-19 rules resulted in increased spending at restaurants and hotels, as well as on clothes.

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