TOKYO • Campaigners for Japan's nightlife workers have drafted safety guidelines on how to stay safe and remain in business amid the pandemic, such as a no-kissing rule and the disinfection of karaoke microphones.
Bar staff need practical rules on how to interact with customers, said Dr Shinya Iwamuro, a urologist and public health advocate who has been teaching infection control measures in Tokyo's Shinjuku district and other nightspots.
Among those rules are no kissing, no sharing plates and that conversation should take place at right angles to avoid droplet contamination.
"As much as possible, kiss only with your partner, and avoid deep kissing," Dr Iwamuro told a news conference, outlining what he described as "kiss etiquette".
Strategic testing in the nightlife districts of Tokyo has revealed rising daily cases of the coronavirus, predominantly among people in their 20s and 30s.
The clusters prompted the Tokyo governor to raise the city's alert to the highest "red" level last Wednesday.
The government is reported to be considering more spot checks of nightlife businesses.
But concern is growing that the industry has been made a scapegoat for the failure of the authorities to track and contain the disease.
Dr Masayuki Saijo, director of virology at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, said it was not appropriate to discriminate against people based on where or when they work.
"There's no difference, working at night or working in the day," Dr Saijo said. "The strategy to reduce human-to-human infection is the same."
Ms Kaori Kohga, representative director of the Nightlife Business Association, told reporters that her group has drafted its own safety rules for its members, including disinfecting karaoke microphones, as it found government recommendations, such as wearing masks and 2m social distancing, were impractical.
"Nothing will change if you're only criticising us as the bad guys," she said, adding that the government had not acknowledged the group's rules nor offered enough financial help to businesses or workers.
The city's new coronavirus cases have dropped below 200 for a second day, with 168 recorded yesterday, even as infections continue to spread beyond the capital.
Reported cases are often lower on Mondays due to hospitals being closed on the weekend, leading to fewer tests being conducted.
The city reported 188 new cases on Sunday and 290 last Saturday, with the government contending that the increased number of cases is partly due to more aggressive testing.
Other prefectures have also been reporting infection surges since the lifting of the state of emergency in May, raising concern about the government's steps to thwart the coronavirus.
The total number of cases in Japan rose by 342 to 25,767 as of yesterday evening.
In a poll conducted last Saturday, 64 per cent of respondents said the government should declare a localised state of emergency, with another 20 per cent calling for one nationwide.
REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
