Lower House member Jiro Hatoyama's office said Monday one of his secretaries has contracted the coronavirus, the first known case among people working in a Tokyo office building for lawmakers.
The secretary, a man in his 60s whose name has not been released, developed a fever the evening of April 5. It was confirmed Saturday that he was positive for COVID-19. The Lower House secretariat disinfected Hatoyama's office upon being notified of the infection Monday.
Hatoyama, 41, represents the Fukuoka No. 6 district as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is the son of the late veteran lawmaker Kunio Hatoyama and a scion of a prominent political family.
The secretary has shown only mild symptoms but will be hospitalized. He had been working from home since last week and had not been in close contact with Hatoyama, according to the office.
The Lower House secretariat said that when a lawmaker or aide tests positive for the virus or is deemed to have been in close contact with someone infected, it will try to track their activities and interactions for the previous two weeks and disinfect the office and Diet buildings if necessary.
Hatoyama has been elected twice. His father, who died in 2016, held several ministerial posts.