Recently, Japan announced it would consider relaxing its recommendation on wearing masks indoors if the classification of Covid-19 was lowered to that of the seasonal flu. It seems the change is coming, with Nikkei Asia reporting that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed his cabinet to reclassify Covid-19's status starting this spring.
Covid-19 is currently labelled under Class 2, which is Japan's second-highest disease category and includes other diseases like SARS and tuberculosis. With the coming change, Covid-19 will be considered a Class 5 disease. Under the new category, quarantine and state of emergency announcements will no longer be necessary.
The change comes as Covid-19 has become gradually less fatal and Japan is working towards economic recovery after a harsh few years through the pandemic.
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