Japanese officials say a man infected with COVID-19 deliberately visited bars after his diagnosis to "spread the virus".
The man, in his 50s, lives with his parents - who have the coronavirus - in Gamagori City. After he was tested and found to be positive, medical workers send the man home and ordered him to stay there.
However Fuji News Network (FNN) reports he decided to catch a taxi to visit bars instead.
"I am going to spread the virus," he reportedly told a family member.
After eating and drinking, the man allegedly then told people he had tested positive.
Staff members alerted a nearby health centre and police in protective suits arrived to detain the man, only to find he had already returned home in a taxi.
"I can't get this straight in my head," a staff member told FNN. "I cannot express it in words since I only have anger."
Officials have held a press conference to apologise for the incident, with Mayor Toshiaki Suzuki saying: "It is highly regrettable that he did not remain home as instructed."
As of Friday, there have been over 1000 cases in Japan.
