Sep 02, 2021 (South China Morning Post) - Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, who has faced a barrage of criticism for suddenly biting an Olympic softball player’s gold medal last month, on Wednesday tested positive for the coronavirus, the local government said.
Kawamura, who had apologised for the medal-biting incident that went viral on social media, took the polymerase chain reaction test after his secretary was found to have been infected with the virus on Sunday, according to Nagoya city officials.
The 72-year-old mayor has not developed any symptoms and is resting at home, with his official duties delegated to other officials. He had received his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine in early July.
Kawamura recently made headlines over the medal-biting stunt which occurred when he was visited by Miu Goto, a member of the Japanese women’s softball team at the Tokyo Olympics who hails from the central Japan city in Aichi Prefecture, on August 4.
When the pair posed for photos during Goto’s visit to the city hall, Kawamura gestured for her to place the medal around his neck and, taking off his mask, bit it – copying a gesture often made by medal-winning Olympians.
