A nurse in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, who took care of a woman who died from the coronavirus has tested positive for the virus, prefectural and other officials said Monday.

The nurse in her 40s is believed to have contracted the virus at a hospital in Sagamihara, where she took care of the woman in her 80s.

The nurse has never been to China, where the virus has been spreading. She is highly likely to have been infected from the deceased woman, a Sagamihara city official said.

The prefectural and other officials said the nurse developed a fever on Friday after taking the temperature and pulse of the woman and helped her wash hands while wearing a face mask between Feb. 1 and 5.

Virus checks are being conducted on 61 people who had close contact with the deceased woman at three medical institutions where she was treated.

Separately, the health ministry said that a male staff worker in his 50s who did clerical work at the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined at the port of Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa, has tested positive for the virus.

The staff worker has performed his duties on board since Tuesday, according to the ministry. He developed a fever on Friday, the ministry said, adding that he was wearing a face mask and taking other measures to avoid the infection.

The worker had no close contact with passengers or crew members on the ship, according to the ministry.

Previously, an officer who took part in quarantine work on the ship had tested positive for the virus.

JIJI Press