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Akihabara Maid Café Confirms 6 Employees Contracted COVID-19

Infinia, the company which runs the popular maid café "@home cafe," announced on Wednesday that three of its employees had contracted the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Three other employees were confirmed to have contracted the virus on June 26, bringing the total number of infected employees to six. In the notice, Infinia stated that the employees who are at risk of the virus have been made to stay home since June 26, and that the company has received confirmation from the health center that it is safe to continue running the business.

The café has been implementing social distancing measures, such as reducing the number of seats and separating them with panels, enforcing the staff and maids to wear masks, and providing disinfectant and temperature checks for customers entering the establishment. Taking a photo with a maid is still permitted, but only with one maid at a time, and direct physical contact is avoided.

The city of Tokyo reported 107 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the largest number since the State of Emergency was lifted on May 25. The last time the city reported over 100 new cases in a single day was on May 2. The latest high comes after a week of over 50 new cases per day, indicating a spike in infections across the city.

At a conference on Thursday afternoon, Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike urged residents to refrain from visiting nightlife establishments after it was found that the number of patients who had visited nightlife establishments such as host clubs was increasing. The Asashi Shimbun also reports that besides the cases connected to those establishments, there has also been a steady increase in cases contracted through Akihabara's maid cafés.

Sources: Asashi Shimbun, Sirabee via Matt Alt