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Japan’s Hokkaido May Have 940 Infected, Researcher Says

  • Estimate compares with 77 confirmed cases in tourism hotspot
  • Prime Minister Abe has come under scrutiny on scale of testing
A woman wearing a face mask crosses a street during snowfall in Sapporo, northern Japan on Feb. 3.

A woman wearing a face mask crosses a street during snowfall in Sapporo, northern Japan on Feb. 3.

Photographer: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

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The number of people infected with coronavirus in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido may have reached 940 last month, more than 10 times the official figure, according to one scientist.

The estimate for infections as of Feb. 25 was compiled by Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor who specializes in statistical modeling of infectious diseases at Hokkaido University’s medical school. It was based on the number of foreign and domestic travelers who had been infected on the island, as well as passenger volume.