Japan's health ministry said Tuesday that two more Japanese people who returned home from Wuhan on government-chartered flights have been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus that originated in the Chinese city.

One of them, a man in his 50s, arrived back to Japan on Jan. 29 on the first of four flights chartered by the Japanese government for evacuation, the ministry said. The other is a man in his 40s, who returned on Jan. 30 on the second chartered flight.

Both men tested negative for the new coronavirus immediately after their return home. Their infections were confirmed in second virus tests, conducted as their symptoms, such as fever, remained, the ministry said.

The four flights transported a total of 763 people to Japan, including family members of Japanese returnees. Of them, 12 people have now been confirmed to be infected with the virus.

The total number of people who have tested positive for the virus in Japan now totals 163, including those from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is currently quarantined off the country.

JIJI Press