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Japan to lower COVID-19 to flu status, further easing rules

Published:Friday | January 20, 2023 | 9:42 PM
Commuters wear masks outside Tokyo Station in Tokyo Friday, January 20, 2023. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday announced plans to start preparations for downgrading the legal status of COVID-19 to an equivalent of seasonal influenza in the spring, a move that would further relax mask-wearing and other preventive measures as the country seeks an exit plan. (Kyodo News via AP)

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday announced plans to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to the equivalent of seasonal influenza in the spring, a move that would further relax mask-wearing and other preventive measures as the country seeks to return to normalcy.

Kishida said he has instructed experts and government officials to discuss the details of lowering COVID-19′s status.

A change would also remove self-isolation rules and other anti-virus requirements and allow COVID-19 patients to seek treatment at any hospital instead of only specialised facilities.

“In order to return to our ordinary daily life in Japan while pursuing measures to adapt to living with the coronavirus, we will study concrete measures to gradually move on to the next step,” Kishida said.

In Japan, COVID-19 is currently categorised as a Class 2 disease, along with SARS and tuberculosis, and is subject to restricting movements of patients and their close contacts, while allowing central and local governments to issue emergency measures.

Downgrading it to Class 5 would mean scrapping those rules.

The planned change would mark a major turning point in Japan's COVID-19 policy toward normalising social and economic activities.

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