Man pushes emergency stop on train after someone coughed

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While tension is high due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) around the globe, a train passenger in Japan was apparently taking no chances when sharing public transportation with others.

The male commuter pushed the emergency button on the train traveling along the Nanakuma Line in Fukuoka City last Tuesday, Feb. 18. When questioned, the man said that he pushed the button because there was “someone coughing without a mask on” inside the train, Nishi Nippon Shimbun reported via Sora News 24 on Feb. 22.

After the incident, the train made an emergency stop at the nearest station. The coughing passenger explained that he was unable to wear any mask due to shortage in the region. The two were able to sort out their differences, but the train was reportedly delayed by three minutes because of the incident.

“I don’t even hear about these kinds of things when the flu is going around. Why would someone stop a train because of a mask,” a representative of the Fukuoka City Subway was quoted as saying.

An official in Shanghai, China, recently announced the transmission routes of the novel coronavirus, which include direct transmission, contact transmission and aerosol transmission.

The viral outbreak, which started in China, has infected more than 77,000 people around the globe. In Japan, there have been 739 confirmed cases, while in the Philippines, three cases were confirmed and one death was recorded. Cha Lino /ra

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