Japan confirms first death of person with new coronavirus

A woman in her 80s has become the first person with the new coronavirus to die in Japan, the country's health minister said Thursday, cautioning it was not clear if the virus caused her death.

"The relationship between the new coronavirus and the death of the person is still unclear," Katsunobu Kato said at a late-night briefing.

"This is the first death of a person who tested positive."