Yokohama Gov. Fumiko Hayashi is seen in this file photo taken at Yokohama City Hall on March 26, 2020. (Mainichi/Junya Higuchi)

YOKOHAMA -- The municipal government here asked a local day care center to refrain from informing parents and guardians about a worker who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, it has been learned.

Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi admitted the city government's mistake on April 15, and indicated her intention to swiftly notify parents and guardians of infections if similar cases are to occur in the future.

According to the Yokohama Municipal Government, a female worker in her 20s at Nishiterao Nursery School, a private and certified day care facility in the city's Kanagawa Ward, was found to have been infected with the new coronavirus on the evening of April 8.

After it was informed of the infection, the city government asked the nursery to operate as usual on the next day, and to inform parents and others after the results of a public health care center's investigation into the worker's activities were released.

Although the center had initially considered distributing information on the infection on April 8 and closing operations the next day, it held back from taking any action in response to the city's request. However, early on the morning the next day, the center decided to inform parents and others through email that an individual close to the day care had tested positive, without waiting for the investigation results. Consequently, none of the children reportedly came to the nursery.

Thirteen children in the infected worker's class, as well as her 37 co-workers at the day care, are said to have had close contact with her, and the center remains closed.

A representative of the Yokohama Municipal Government explained that the city asked the center to hold on to the information so it could "provide accurate information, such as who came in close contact with the infected worker, and if the center needs to close operations." They added, "We didn't give enough consideration to the feelings of those concerned."

Mayor Hayashi said, "The day care center told us they wanted to shut operations, and we should have let them do that."

(Japanese original by Tsumuki Nakamura, Yokohama Bureau)