Photo/Illutration The office of the Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly, where many officials have tested positive for the novel coronavirus after a large farewell party was held in late March (Tomoe Ishikawa)

A cluster infection has broken out at a health ministry bureau that threw a late-night party in Tokyo’s Ginza district during the resurgence in COVID-19 cases, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said.

Ten more officials who belonged to the Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly until March 31 tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 27, the health ministry said on April 20.

Five of the 10 attended the March 24 farewell party held by bureau officials despite government requests to the public to avoid dining in groups of five or more and to bars and restaurants to close early.

Based on the date when the infected officials developed symptoms, the institute believes the virus was brought into the bureau in or after mid-March.

The institute has informed the ministry of the cluster infection at the bureau and is currently investigating the infection route.

Some of the 10 officials developed symptoms such as high fevers, while others were asymptomatic.

Of the 23 bureau officials who attended the party that continued until midnight, 12 have tested positive so far.

The health ministry said a local public health center is also investigating a possible link between the party and the spread of the virus at the bureau. The local government will officially determine whether an infection cluster has occurred there, the ministry said.

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