Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Friday that he has directed health ministry experts to boost discussions on a possible lowering of the legal status of the coronavirus to the same level as seasonal flu by this spring.
And the Japanese “Kyodo” news agency stated that Covid-19 is currently classified in Japan as a disease of the second category, which is the same case as tuberculosis and bird flu, and is subject to widespread measures, including restrictions on the movements of infected people and their contacts.
Kishida also told reporters that his government will review the rules on the use of masks and other measures that had been taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, explaining that his government intends to continue the vaccination program even after the downgrade of the disease.
By downgrading COVID-19 to category five under the Communicable Diseases Act, the Kishida government can ease restrictions and reduce medical support for patients.
Last week, a panel of experts under the Ministry of Health urged the government to take a “gradual” approach to downgrading the COVID-19 classification, while maintaining coronavirus measures to ensure adequate medical care.
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