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▼ 500 Infections Found At Japanese Host And Hostess Clubs Since Emergency Lifted
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At least 514 employees and customers at host and hostess clubs in five prefectures including Tokyo have been infected with the novel coronavirus since the state of emergency was lifted on May 25, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Tokyo accounts for more than 80% of total cases related to host, hostess and kyabakura clubs — types of bars in which male and female employees sit next to customers and entertain them. Fukuoka City and three other cities in the Tokyo metropolitan area have also made public the number of people infected in similar settings, and local governments are stepping up their vigilance.
The Tokyo metropolitan government defines people infected at such establishments as “nightlife district carriers.” According to the metropolitan government, 446 of the 1,145 people infected in Tokyo from May 25 to July 1 were infected in these locations. Shinjuku Ward, home to Kabukicho, one of the most famous entertainment areas in Japan, accounted for 70% of the 446.
In Yokohama, 32 male employees working at the same host club were found to have been infected. Infections have also been confirmed in kyabakura — a Japanese word that comes from cabaret club — in Saitama, Utsunomiya and Fukuoka.
■ Sharp increase since June
In Tokyo, the number of people infected with the virus in nightlife districts has been sharply increasing since June. On many days, they account for nearly half of the daily total. On June 14, they reached about 70% of the 47 infections confirmed, at 32.
In cooperation with Shinjuku Ward, the metropolitan government is conducting group inspections at host and hostess clubs and other establishments. There were cases in which a single inspection yielded a large number of infections.
“Wining and dining establishments that entertain customers at night are a hotbed of infections,” a senior metropolitan government official said.
Haruo Ozaki, chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association, said, “If young people who are asymptomatic spread the infection without being aware of it, elderly people who are more likely to become seriously ill may also be at risk, which may also endanger the medical system.”
■ Not wearing masks
Meanwhile, the Saitama city government said Wednesday a customer was found to have been infected with the virus at a kyabakura club in Omiya Ward, bringing the total of infected employees and customers at that club to 14. The city regards it as a cluster and is trying to identify other people who may have been infected.
The Saitama prefectural government asked kyabakura and similar establishments to close from April 13 to June 16, but the club in question was open during that period. Female employees are said to have been serving customers without masks, and the number of customers since June 17 is estimated to have reached about 300.
In Utsunomiya, eight male and female employees of a kyabakura club were found to be infected, making it the first cluster in Tochigi Prefecture. The establishment did not take any measures to keep customers more than one meter away from each other or set up partitions.
On Wednesday, a total of 126 people were newly confirmed infected nationwide with 67 of those in Tokyo.
Tokyo accounts for more than 80% of total cases related to host, hostess and kyabakura clubs — types of bars in which male and female employees sit next to customers and entertain them. Fukuoka City and three other cities in the Tokyo metropolitan area have also made public the number of people infected in similar settings, and local governments are stepping up their vigilance.
The Tokyo metropolitan government defines people infected at such establishments as “nightlife district carriers.” According to the metropolitan government, 446 of the 1,145 people infected in Tokyo from May 25 to July 1 were infected in these locations. Shinjuku Ward, home to Kabukicho, one of the most famous entertainment areas in Japan, accounted for 70% of the 446.
In Yokohama, 32 male employees working at the same host club were found to have been infected. Infections have also been confirmed in kyabakura — a Japanese word that comes from cabaret club — in Saitama, Utsunomiya and Fukuoka.
■ Sharp increase since June
In Tokyo, the number of people infected with the virus in nightlife districts has been sharply increasing since June. On many days, they account for nearly half of the daily total. On June 14, they reached about 70% of the 47 infections confirmed, at 32.
In cooperation with Shinjuku Ward, the metropolitan government is conducting group inspections at host and hostess clubs and other establishments. There were cases in which a single inspection yielded a large number of infections.
“Wining and dining establishments that entertain customers at night are a hotbed of infections,” a senior metropolitan government official said.
Haruo Ozaki, chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association, said, “If young people who are asymptomatic spread the infection without being aware of it, elderly people who are more likely to become seriously ill may also be at risk, which may also endanger the medical system.”
■ Not wearing masks
Meanwhile, the Saitama city government said Wednesday a customer was found to have been infected with the virus at a kyabakura club in Omiya Ward, bringing the total of infected employees and customers at that club to 14. The city regards it as a cluster and is trying to identify other people who may have been infected.
The Saitama prefectural government asked kyabakura and similar establishments to close from April 13 to June 16, but the club in question was open during that period. Female employees are said to have been serving customers without masks, and the number of customers since June 17 is estimated to have reached about 300.
In Utsunomiya, eight male and female employees of a kyabakura club were found to be infected, making it the first cluster in Tochigi Prefecture. The establishment did not take any measures to keep customers more than one meter away from each other or set up partitions.
On Wednesday, a total of 126 people were newly confirmed infected nationwide with 67 of those in Tokyo.
- July 2, 2020
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