Japanese mayor who bit athlete’s gold medal tests positive for coronavirus

Nagoya politician’s troubles continue.

August was not a good month for Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura, although he can’t really blame most of it on bad luck. On August 4, Nagoya resident and Olympic softball gold medalist Miu Goto met with Kawamura so he could offer his congratulations, and during the photo session the mayor unilaterally decided to stick her medal in his mouth and bite it.

Following a swift backlash from a disgusted public, Kawamura announced he would forfeit three months’ pay as an act of contrition, but at least a portion of the goodwill he may have earned from that gesture was eroded by the terse chicken-scratch apology note he issued to Nagoya’s municipal employees.

▼ The bite

So Kawamura was no doubt eager to turn the calendar over for a fresh start in September. Unfortunately, the new month isn’t starting off too well for him, as he’s now tested positive for coronavirus infection.

Concerns arose on Sunday when Kawamura’s personal aide, a male city employee in his 30s, was diagnosed with the virus. As a precaution, the mayor did not go to city hall on Monday and instead remained in his home, where he underwent a PCR test on Tuesday which confirmed his infection, with the test results being made public on September 1.

It doesn’t appear that Kawamura was infected at the time of the medal-biting incident, though his willingness to put non-food objects in his mouth would suggest that he perhaps wasn’t the most cautious individual regarding anti-infection protocols. Nevertheless, Tokai TV reports that he had already had both of his coronavirus vaccination shots prior to the discovery of his infection.

Luckily, Kawamura is asymptomatic, with no fever or other current ill effects from his condition. He is remaining in his home as a precaution against speeding the virus to others, though, working remotely in coordination with Nagoya’s deputy mayor and other city staff, while no doubt longing for the days when he was making headlines for something as benign as his One Piece anime cosplay.

Sources: FNN Prime Online via Hachima Kiko, Yahoo! Japan News/Tokai TV, NHK News Web
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