Japan finds new COVID-19 strain, while immigration center reports infections

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan has confirmed a new variant of COVID-19 and a cluster of infection has emerged at a Tokyo immigration facility, presenting new challenges as the country tries to overcome a third wave of the pandemic.

The new variant was found in 91 cases in the Kanto area of ​​eastern Japan and in 2 cases in airports, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters on Friday. The government is stepping up surveillance against mutant varieties as they may be more resistant to vaccines, which Japan began to distribute this week.

“It can be more contagious than conventional strains and, if it continues to spread internally, it can lead to a rapid increase in cases,” said Kato.

The new strain appears to have originated abroad, but is different from other types that were found sporadically in Japan, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. It has the E484K mutation in the virus spike protein, which has been found in other variants, which can impair the effectiveness of vaccines.

Japan has notified 151 cases of variants from Britain, South Africa and Brazil, according to the Ministry of Health. The country had more than 400,000 cases of COVID-19 with 7,194 fatalities.

Meanwhile, 5 foreign officials and 39 detainees at a Tokyo immigration facility tested positive for COVID-19.

All 130 detainees at the facility were tested for the virus, according to a spokesman for the Tokyo Regional Immigration Office. None of the cases is serious and all infected detainees remain in quarantine for others.

The representative declined to comment on the nationality of the infected detainees, citing privacy concerns.

Japan’s detention system for immigration law violators and asylum seekers has been widely criticized for its medical standards, detainee monitoring and emergency response.

“Many detainees are locked in small, closed spaces,” said Motoko Yamagishi, head of a migrant rights group. “It is unfortunate that such an outbreak happened in the center.”