Nintendo Store Tokyo Temporarily Closes Its Doors Due to 3 Staffers Getting COVID-19

by Onizukasensei

Mar 2, 2022

Nintendo Tokyo store (Photo: Daryl Harding)

Nintendo announced last night that its self-run store in Tokyo has had to temporarily close from March 2 due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the staff of the store, with three staffers currently confirmed to have tested positive for the disease. There's no word yet on when the store will re-open, but Nintendo is working with local health centers as well as sanitizing and disinfecting the entire store to get it open as soon as possible.

[お知らせ]3月1日に #NintendoTOKYO（東京都渋谷区）に勤務する従業員3名が、新型コロナウイルスに感染していることが判明いたしました。これを受け、Nintendo TOKYOは明日3月2日（水）より臨時休業とさせていただきます。くわしくはこちらをご覧ください。https://t.co/zNmtJvcrJX
— Nintendo TOKYO (@N_Officialstore) March 1, 2022

The first case of COVID-19 was found in a staff member who last worked on February 23, with Nintendo announcing the news on February 25. Due to this, Nintendo disinfected the store and gave all the staff rapid antigen tests, which all came back negative. Though later, it was found that two more staff members, who last worked at the store on February 26 and 27, had come down with COVID-19 and tested positive on March 1, causing Nintendo to shut down the store to stop the spread.

Nintendo Store Tokyo is the first self-managed Nintendo store in Japan and opened in Shibuya Parco on November 22, 2019. A second shop is set to open in Osaka's Daimaru Umeda department store by the end of 2022.

Source: Nintendo

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Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.