A man was arrested in Tokyo on Wednesday for allegedly breaking an entrance door at a sports club that remained open despite the state of emergency declared due to the new coronavirus outbreak, police said.
The 43-year-old, who has not been identified by the police, was arrested around 10:50 p.m. Wednesday after destroying a glass door at the 24-hour gym in the capital's Minato Ward.
The man, who has admitted to the charge of vandalism, was drunk at the time, they said.
The gym was scheduled to close from Thursday following the declaration issued on Tuesday that enables local authorities to request certain businesses to halt operations.
The police quoted the man as saying he kicked the door because he could not find a staff member to make a complaint. A user of the facility pressed an alarm to report the incident.
The Tokyo metropolitan government is mulling whether to include sports clubs among facilities that it will ask to suspend business. The Japanese capital is among seven prefectures covered by the emergency declaration.
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