Japan says China must stop anal swab tests for coronavirus disease

Tokyo has requested Beijing to stop taking anal swab tests for the coronavirus disease on Japanese citizens as the procedure causes psychological pain, a government spokesman said on Monday, Reuters reports.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said the government has not received a response that Beijing would change the testing procedure, so Japan would continue to ask China to alter the way of testing.

"Some Japanese reported to our embassy in China that they received anal swab tests, which caused a great psychologial pain," Kato told a news conference.

It was not known how many Japanese citizens received such tests for the coronavirus, he said.

Some Chinese cities are using samples taken from the anus to detect potential infections as China steps up screening to make sure no potential carrier of the new coronavirus is missed.