The international departure area of Kansai International Airport is seen on Dec. 27, 2020, in this file photo. (Mainichi/Yasutoshi Tsurumi)

       TOKYO -- A quarantine official at west Japan's Kansai International Airport has been confirmed infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced Dec. 16, in what is the first confirmed case in Japan from a person with no recent history of travel abroad.

       According to the health ministry, the employee is in her 30s. She was working at an accommodation and recovery facility for arrivals to Japan who have been confirmed to have COVID-19. Inside the facility, there were three people who entered Japan and were later confirmed infected with the omicron variant, but the employee's work reportedly doesn't bring her in direct contact with the infected individuals.

       The worker tested positive for the virus on Dec. 13, prompting analysis of the discovered virus's genome. She is currently hospitalized, and six people connected to her workplace who are recognized as close contacts are currently in a quarantine facility.

       The health ministry is investigating the case with the view that infections took place inside the airport facility.

       (Japanese original by Hidenori Yazawa, Lifestyle and Medical News Department)

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