Japanese comedian Ken Shimura dies of coronavirus-related pneumonia

Ken Shimura, a veteran slapstick comedian and a one-time member of rockabilly band and comedy group The Drifters, died Sunday of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, his agency said. He was 70.A household name in Japan, Shimura last week became the first Japanese entertainment figure to announce an infection with the virus. His agency announced his death from the disease known as COVID-19 on Monday.Shimura was admitted to a Tokyo hospital on March 20 after developing a fever and was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. The comedian was put on a ventilator on March 21 and never regained co…READ FULL ARTICLE