Police in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business after he coughed at two female employees in a drugstore, while yelling “I have the coronavirus.”

According to police, the incident occurred at 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday in the store in Tenpaku Ward, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police said Hirokazu Nakayama, a part-time worker, 49, coughed and blew his breath at two female employees and then yelled out that he was infected with the coronavirus. A store employee called police.

Police said that Nakayama was later tested and did not have the virus. They said he has admitted to the charge and quoted him as saying he was irritated because there were no longer any face masks available at the store.

The incident caused the store to close for a few hours.

© Japan Today