Saitama City Hall is seen in Saitama's Urawa Ward on March 5, 2019. (Mainichi/Kaoru Yamadera)

       SAITAMA -- A man in his 60s recovering from COVID-19 at home in this east Japan city was found dead after not answering phone calls to confirm his safety for two weeks, the Saitama Municipal Government said when announcing his death on Aug. 31.

       According to the city's public health center, the man lived with his wife and both were recuperating at home after testing positive for the coronavirus. While the man, who tested positive on Aug. 11, had answered public health center phone calls until the afternoon of Aug. 13, he did not respond to automated phone calls after his health observation was taken over by the Saitama prefectural support center for individuals recuperating outside medical institutions. Nurses at a prefectural government-commissioned private company running the support center called him on Aug. 19, 21 and 24, but he did not pick up.

       The couple's child, who lives separately, called emergency services on Aug. 27 after they could not contact their parents. A rescue team found the man dead at the property. While his wife was home, she was reportedly in need of hospitalization.

       Saitama Prefectural Police believe the man died on Aug. 25.

       (Japanese original by Mitsuo Koga, Saitama Higashi Bureau)

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