Association of a promotional campaign for local dining facilities with the occurrence of COVID-19 in Asahikawa City, Japan, in November 2021

• Main Authors: Sakiko Tabata Kuribayashi (Author), Takuya Yamagishi (Author), Naoki Suzuki (Author), Go Asari (Author), Rieko Abo (Author), Harumi Yamamoto (Author), Kazunori Yasutomi (Author), Tsukasa Ohara (Author), Yasuko Tachibana (Author), Tomoe Shimada (Author), Tomimasa Sunagawa (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Elsevier, 2023-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Objectives: As social restrictions of COVID-19 are being eased worldwide, preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission among staff members and customers in dining facilities is essential to continuously running business because restaurants and bars are high-risk locations for COVID-19 outbreaks. In 2021, COVID-19 outbreaks occurred at restaurants or bars in Asahikawa city, Japan two weeks after the launch of a promotional campaign for local dining facilities. We investigated this event to assess the association between the promotional campaign and the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Study design: Cohort study. Methods: We assessed the association between the occurrence of COVID-19 cases in the restaurants and bars and their participation in the campaign by calculating risk ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: Cases were identified among workers or customers in 4.0% (4/101) of the participating restaurants or bars and in 1.2% (39/3257) of the non-participating restaurants or bars. The risk ratio was 3.3 (95% confidence interval 1.2-9.0). Conclusion: The association between the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the restaurants or bars and participation in the campaign is undeniable. Promotional campaigns to vitalize dining facilities should be accompanied by enhanced infection prevention measures, especially ventilation.

Item Description

2666-5352
10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100403