TOKYO (BLOOMBERG) - A railway station employee in Kanagawa prefecture has tested positive for the coronavirus, East Japan Railway Co said on Monday (Feb 24).

The infected person was a man in his 50s, a clerical worker at Sagamihara station, about an hour west of central Tokyo by train, the rail operator said in a statement.

He tested positive on Saturday, and has been on leave since Feb 17 after feeling ill and seeing a doctor the previous day.

East Japan Railway said the person was not engaged in customer-facing business, but he had worked for about 30 minutes doing platform duties at a nearby station on Feb 16.

The company said that employees who have been in contact with the person will take coronavirus tests from Feb 25.