Japan intends to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 from a Class 2 disease to a Class 5 this spring, a decision that is expected to result in a major change in pandemic restrictions, with the government also planning to ease face mask rules.
“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 a next step,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Friday, according to AP. The government intends to “gradually” change the measures in place. Kishida indicated that his administration will review face mask rules as well.
