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Coronavirus cases on Japan’s Hokkaido island may be 10 times the official number, expert warns
- Hokkaido, a popular tourist spot that draws millions of foreign visitors every year, has emerged as a hotbed of infections in Japan
- With about 77 confirmed cases, the island accounts for more than a quarter of the total in the country, excluding the cases related to the Diamond Princess
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The number of people infected with coronavirus in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido may have reached 940 last month, more than 10 times the official figure, according to one scientist.
The estimate for infections as of February 25 was compiled by Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor who specialises in statistical modelling of infectious diseases at Hokkaido University’s medical school. It was based on the number of foreign and domestic travellers who had been infected on the island, as well as passenger volume.
“The difference from the reported cases is about tenfold, so it’s likely there are people who only have minor symptoms or have not developed any,” Nishiura told reporters on Monday. “My guess is that many of them are younger people.”
As of Tuesday, Japan had confirmed 274 cases, as well as 706 cases aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship with docked in Yokohama. There have been six deaths recorded in Japan.
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Hokkaido, a popular tourist spot that draws millions of visitors from around the world every year, has been a hotbed of infections in Japan. With about 77 confirmed cases, the island accounts for more than a quarter of the total in the country, excluding the cases related to the Diamond Princess. Hokkaido declared a state of emergency last week, set to be in place until March 19.
Japan’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus have come under increased scrutiny, as people questioned the scale of the testing and the handling of the cruise ship’s quarantine. The country also has more at stake as it’s preparing to host the Summer Olympics. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has since attempted to tackle the problem by asking all schools to close for a month and promising to expand testing.
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Japan’s Health Minister Katsunobu Kato acknowledged last week that Japan was conducting only a fraction of the number of tests as its peers, meaning the cases confirmed so far may represent the tip of the iceberg. Kato on Tuesday said he was aware of Nishiura’s projected figures in Hokkaido and would tackle the situation accordingly.
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