20 Japanese now quarantined by China over flu

BEIJING (Kyodo) The number of Japanese isolated for medical observation in China after coming into contact with a Chinese man infected with swine flu climbed to 20 on Tuesday, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing said.

While the isolation of one of 19 Japanese nationals who had been under observation ended Tuesday, two others were newly isolated after authorities managed to contact them, the embassy said.

According to the embassy, no one in isolation has shown flu symptoms and officials are in phone contact with them.

There were 25 Japanese on the same flight as the Chinese man, traveling from Tokyo to Beijing.

Of the 25, five had already returned to Japan. Authorities have confirmed that the five have no flu symptoms.

Those under observation in China include 14 in Beijing, three in Xian and one in Wuhan. Two family members of passengers on the flight were also isolated.

Authorities have yet to contact the remaining two Japanese passengers in China, according to the Japanese Embassy.