Japan to complete new round of Covid-19 antibody tests by year-end

The Japanese government on Friday said that a new round of coronavirus antibody tests on some 15,000 people will be completed by the end of this year, as it seeks to better grasp the scale of the pandemic's spread in the country.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura told a press conference that the tests will take place in Tokyo, Osaka and three other prefectures including Miyagi, Aichi and Fukuoka, reports Xinhua news agency.

Japan has witnessed a recent rapid resurgence in the number of new cases, with several major cities, including Tokyo and Osaka, requesting night-life establishments to shorten their operating hours to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to the Ministry, the results will help health officials understand more accurately to what extent the pandemic has spread in the country as antibodies to the virus would be present even in those who are without symptoms.

In June, Japan tested around 8,000 people for coronavirus antibodies, with the results showing a 0.10-per cent infection rate in Tokyo, the epicentre of the country's pandemic.

Meanwhile, the infection rates for Osaka and Miyagi Prefecture stood at 0.17 per cent and 0.03 per cent, respectively.

Some health experts said the results showed a very limited spread of the coronavirus in the three regions as the figures were much lower than some 20 per cent detected in New York and 5 per cent in Spain.

Japan has so far reported more than 140,000 coronavirus cases and 1,996 deaths.