YAMAGUCHI (TR) – A man in his 40s living in Shimonoseki who was the customer of a bar hostess infected with the novel coronavirus has also tested positive, authorities said on Thursday, reports NHK (Mar. 5).
The case, confirmed on Tuesday, is the first in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The man, a company employee, was served by the hostess, aged in her 30s, at bar Lounge Southern Cross Oita in Oita City on February 20, the Shimonoseki City government said.
Also this week, the Oita prefectural government announced that the hostess tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19.
The hostess was the first case in Oita Prefecture, located on Kyushu. The company employee regularly takes business trips from Shimonoseki to Kyushu. On February 20, he visited the bar with acquaintances and stayed for two hours.
The hostess last worked at the bar on February 22. The following evening, she was found to have a temperature of 38.7 degrees Celsius.
She also experienced a headache and lack of energy. On Tuesday, she was confirmed as infected with the virus.
Shimonoseki City does not know whether the woman infected the company employee. However, the hostess club is under examination and possible infection routes are being explored.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said that as of Thursday morning the total number of cases of coronavirus had reached 1,036.
The figure includes 706 persons from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port.
