Japanese imperial house detects COVID-19 case in emperor’s niece

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Japanese Imperial House on Tuesday said it detected a COVID-19 case among the emperor’s extended family.

Princess Kako, niece of Emperor Naruhito, “tested positive for COVID-19," the Imperial Household Agency said in a statement to Kyodo News.

Kako, 30, was diagnosed with coronavirus after having a fever early Tuesday.

She was tested for the coronavirus on Monday following a sore throat, after attending a national youth speech contest in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on Sunday.

Due to health reasons, the princess will miss her scheduled events through Friday.

The first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Wuhan city, China, in December 2019, and since then, millions of people around the world have lost their lives due to the virus.