Japan launches 'walk through' virus testing

Japan's eastern city of Yokosuka launched a "walk-through" coronavirus testing facility to boost the city's testing capacity amid rising cases of the new coronavirus nationwide.

The facility opened ahead of Japan's extended "Golden Week" holidays which began on Wednesday.

The site started operating on Friday with a testing capacity of up to 36 per day.

Two boxes resembling phone booths were installed in a car park, allowing patients to get tested without being in direct contact with medical staff.

Only one booth is used at any one time, while the other is being disinfected.

Those who have symptoms of the virus will need to make an appointment via a centralised call centre and must describe their symptoms before being approved for tests.

Yokosuka's city mayor Katsuaki Kamiji spearheaded the project and said the prefecture was bracing for more cases to come as one of Tokyo's closest neighbouring cities.

The capital has the highest number of cases in the country.

Kamiji added that municipal governments faced limits in measures they can take legally in enforcing stronger measures to protect its residents.

Japan currently has 13,736 infections of the new coronavirus, with 394 deaths.