News On Japan

Coronavirus ‘cluster’ found at Philippine pub boasting ‘safety sticker’

Aug 14 (tokyoreporter.com) - Eight persons connected to a hostess club in Edogawa Ward that claims to have utilized safety measures against the novel coronavirus have tested positive, the ward said on Wednesday, reports NHK (Aug. 12).

According to the ward office, a “cluster” of infections has emerged at Pub Mayon 2, a so-called “Philippine pub” located in the Nishikasai area.

On August 1, the ward was made aware by another public office that a male customer of the bar, aged in his 60s had tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

The man last visited the bar on July 29. Polymerase chain reaction tests were administered to all of the employees. By Monday, seven female employees aged in their 20s to 40s, had tested positive.

Pub Mayon 2 closed on August 4. Prior to the outbreak, the bar was boasting a “COVID-19 safety sticker,” which are available for download on the site of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

“Businesses can display the stickers in their shops to inform the public that they are taking appropriate disease control measures,” the site said on July 14.

Among those measures are the spacing of seats so customers are sufficiently apart and disinfecting the interior of the premises.

Regarding Pub Mayon 2, a representative of the government said, “At this stage, we don’t know how well [the establishment] was adhering to the guidelines and handling customers so we cannot comment.”

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