Pokémon Center Hiroshima reopens after COVID-19 case, new health precautions

The Pokémon Center Hiroshima was temporary closed due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19. The store closed on August 15 and reopened on August 18, 2020 after it had been cleaned. The store will resume business as normal, albeit with health and safety precautions being taken.

On August 12, a Pokémon Center Hiroshima employee began feeling unwell. On August 15, they received a positive result for a COVID-19 test. As a result, the Pokémon Center Hiroshima was temporarily closed at the guidance of health professionals, to disinfect the store. Furthermore, 27 other employees underwent testing—all tested negative, but two employees who had close contact with the employee who tested positive will undergo a two-week self-quarantine regardless.

Due to the closure, a TCG Shield Battle tournament scheduled for August 16 was cancelled. This was part of the Charizard HR Contest, an ongoing campaign distributing a limited quantity of Hyper Rare Charizard VMax promotional cards.

On August 18, the store reopened, with preventative measures taken against further infections. These precautions include temperature checks before work, as well as utilizing masks and hand sanitizer.