Almost 60 new cases of Covid-19 across region over holiday weekend

July 27, 2020

Hiroshima City confirmed 29 new cases of Covid-19 over the 4 day weekend July 23-26 and the number of cases across the region grew by almost 60.

Cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Chugoku Region July 23-27*
	Hiroshima City	Fukuyama City	Okayama Pref	Yamaguchi	Tottori Pref	Shimane Pref
7/23	13	3	1	4
7/24	6	1	4
&7/25	6	1	8		1	2
7/26	4		2	2

*Based on what I have been able to glean from the newspapers. Please be aware that there may have been some cases I have missed!

 

Highest number of cases in one day confirmed in Hiroshima Prefecture, July 23

16 new cases were announced in Hiroshima Prefecture on July 23, with 13 in Hiroshima City (the biggest one-day increase yet) and 3 in Fukuyama. Despite this, the city said it didn’t consider this jump in cases to have constituted a “second wave”.  Director of the Hiroshima City General, Health and Medical Services Bureau, Sakaya Yukiharu, was quoted as saying that a second wave depends on the nationwide situation and that an increase in cases is inevitable if we are to return to some kind of economic normality and that the city is focused on catching cases early and treating them effectively.

6 of the cases announced on July 23 are contacts of 2 people who tested positive on July 21. Including other family and friends who tested positive on July 22, the number of cases connected to these 2 cases was 14 as of July 23.

Asaminami-ku Prefectural Assembly member Ishibashi Rintaro http://ishibashirintaro.com/ who’s catch phrase on his website is “Where there is a will, there is a way” is one of the other 7 cases. He is reported to have had contact wth a restaurant owner who was announced as being positive for Covid-19 on July 22. Since this time all 51 other Prefectural Assembly members have been tested and returned negative results.

In Fukuyama, 5 cases of Covid-19 have been traced to Japanese restaurant Tessen, located in the Showa-cho area of the city. The 2 men and 1 woman all work at the restaurant.

Sources: Chugoku Shinbun | Chugoku Shinbun

 

New cases in Yamaguchi Pref, July 23

A man in his 30s from Sanyo Onoda City in Yamaguchi Prefecture who traveled to Nagoya on Business July 16-20 and developed a fever after returning tested positive for Covid 19. 2 others (from Ube and Shimonoseki) who came into contact with him also later tested positive. A Hofu woman in her 20s also tested postive.

The governor of Yamaguchi asked the people of Yamaguchi to think carefully if they are planning to travel to big cities with a large number of cases.

Sources: Chugoku Shinbun | Chugoku Shinbun

 

7 new cases in Hiroshima Prefecture. School cleared, July 24

6 new cases of Covid-19 in Hiroshima city and one in Fukuyama were announced on July 24. One of the 6 in Hirohsima City is a connected to two people who tested positive on July 21, bringing the number of cases connected to them so far to 15. 2 more cases are family members of a cases announced on July 23. The case in Fukuyama is connected to the Tessen restaurant group of cases.

All the tests conducted on people connected with the case in a Minami-ku school (6 teachers, 68 pupils and 13 outside instructors) returned negative results. It is planned that the school will reopen on July 27.

Sources: Chugoku Shinbun | Chugoku Shinbun | Chugoku Shinbun

 

4 cases announced Okayama, July 24

A Okayama City man in his 40s who had travelled to Kagawa and Fukuoka prefectures between July 11 and 18 tested positive for Covid-19 on July 23, it was announced July 24. A man and woman in their 20s who traveled to Tokyo and Chiba by car July 18-20 also tested positive after developing symptoms on July 21. A man in his 70 also tested positive. He is reported to have spent time with who spent time with his grandson July 17-20 and who tested positive in Kobe on July 21

Source: Chugoku Shinbun

 

7 new cases of Covid-19 in Hiroshima Pref. Hiroshima City cluster, July 25

6 of 7 news cases announced in Hiroshima Prefecture were in Hiroshima City. 3 of the 6 are close contacts of other confirmed cases and 2 are part of a cluster centered on a wining and dining bar which had grown to 20 people by July 25. 2 more cases connected to this cluster were announced on July 26 along with two other cases.

In Fukuyama, the 6th case connected to the Japanese restaurant Tessen was confirmed. The female customer, who is in her 50s, developed a fever on July 20 and tested positive on July 25.

Source: Chugoku Shinbun | Chugoku Shinbun | Chugoku Shinbun

 

New nightlife cluster in Okayama, July 25

A cluster which surrounds a kyabakura nightclub called New Club Kirara was announced July 25. The cluster currently stands at 6 people associated with the club and is not thought to have any connection to another cluster in the same area announced July 19.

Source: Chugoku Shinbun

 

By the evening of July 26, the total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Hiroshima City so far (excluding reinfections) had reached 153 and across the prefecture (194 discharged). City officials noted that some of the people infected had continued to go to their workplaces after they began to feel unwell and urged people to monitor their own health carefully.

 

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