TOKYO: The Tokyo metropolitan government will reopen the Toyosu wholesale food market, a popular tourist spot, for general visitors on Monday.

The move comes after the market in Koto Ward in the Japanese capital shut out general visitors for about three months in an effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

At each entrance of the facility, visitors will be asked to undergo body temperature checks and disinfect their hands and fingers with alcohol-based sanitizers. Visitors without masks will be refused entry.

Market workers and visitors will be using separate passageways at the facility.

The metropolitan government will increase security guards at the popular tuna auction viewing area and the zone where sushi and other restaurants are located, in order to prevent crowding.

Before the pandemic, visitors were often seen forming lines in front of popular restaurants at the market. But the practice will be banned after the reopening.

"We have anxieties because infection cases in Tokyo have started to increase again," a market worker said.

In response to such concerns, the metropolitan government decided to continue shutting out group visitors and plans to restrict entry of general visitors in case of overcrowding.

In addition, the Tokyo government will reconsider the acceptance of visitors at the market if the situation worsens, in the event of the number of infection cases rising sharply, for example.

JIJI Press