A Japanese woman has tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday just days after being at the same pub as an infected man who allegedly expressed a desire to “spread the virus” to others.
According to Kyodo News, the man, in his 50s, actively defied orders from authorities to self-isolate until a space at a suitable medical facility became available after he tested positive for the virus on March 4th. As he was supposed to be in self-isolation, the man reportedly visited two separate bars in the Aichi Prefecture, around 200 kilometers south of Tokyo, informing one employee at the second location (a karaoke bar) that he had the virus.
The employee consequently reported him to authorities and a healthcare center. Police soon arrived in protective gear to disinfect the location and establish whom he came into contact with. Officials later held a press conference to apologize for the incident, with the city’s mayor, Toshiaki Suzuki admitting it was “highly regrettable that he did not remain home as instructed.”
Since the incident took place, a woman in her 30s developed a fever and a sore throat and has since tested positive for the coronavirus. Health officials confirmed her condition was not serious, but she is still scheduled to be hospitalized.
“I can’t get this straight in my head. I cannot express it in words since I only have anger,” Fuji News Network (FNN) reported one staff member as saying.
As a close neighbor of China, where the outbreak began late last year, Japan has been forced to take strong preventative measures to counter its spread. The Japanese government is currently considering whether to declare an official state of emergency, while all schools have been closed and all large-scale events have been canceled. Major public attractions including Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea have confirmed that their resorts will remain closed until early April, while there will also be discussions as to whether the Tokyo Olympics should be postponed.
According to figures released on Friday morning, there are now 684 domestic cases, as well as 696 from a Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees on charter flights from China, with that number constantly rising. At least 19 people have died. The global infection rate also continues to increase with more than 144,031 confirmed cases and a global death toll of 5,400. The virus has spread to six continents and more than 100 countries.
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