In the latest high-profile infections among celebrities in Japan, Nogizaka46 has announced that two of its members, Kaede Sato and Yuki (or Yuuki) Yoda, have contracted the novel coronavirus.
After a PCR test on August 27 for all the members of the idol group, the 22-year-old and 20-year-old were confirmed to have the virus, though not any symptoms of COVID-19 as of writing.
Yoda (pictured) released a photo book earlier this year.
As we recently reported, other top Japanese idols have contracted the virus, including gradols Jun Amaki and Fumika Baba. Another popular model, Fumina Suzuki, is also recovering.
These latest Nogizaka46 cases follow those from sister groups AKB48 (Shizuka Oya) and Keyakizaka46 (former member Yui Imaizumi).
AKB48 and such idol groups rely heavily on fan interaction for their appeals, not least in the “handshaking” meet-and-greet events that draw huge crowds. In the age of the coronavirus, the realism of continuing such a business model is up for debate.
