Japanese economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is being criticized for receiving perceived priority for a polymerase chain reaction test for possible infection with the novel coronavirus while many members of the public in more urgent cases have been turned away from such tests.

Many said that it was "unfair" for the minister, who was not showing symptoms of the COVID-19 disease caused by the raging virus, to get the virus test ahead of patients showing symptoms.

Nishimura underwent the PCR test after a staff member of the Cabinet Secretariat's coronavirus response team who accompanied the minister on an inspection visit on April 19 was confirmed to have the virus.

The minister went into seclusion on Saturday, but returned to duties on Monday as he tested negative for the virus. "I took a PCR test and found that I'm not infected," Nishimura wrote on Twitter. He also said that he was not in close contact with the infected staff member.

The Twitter post was met with critical comments such as "Why did you get to receive the test?" and "You were given the test because you are a key government figure."

One government source defended the move, saying that Nishimura is "at the very top in terms of testing priority" because of his role as the head of the government's COVID-19 response.

The criticisms came apparently because Japan lags behind other countries in setting up an adequate PCR testing regime.

"We'd like to strongly urge the government to expand testing so that people do not distrust the government and think that only ministers get to receive tests quickly," Tetsuro Fukuyama, secretary-general of the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said.

JIJI Press