The Ministry of Health of Japan removed Kovid-19 from the ‘Code 2’ category and included it in the ‘Code 5’ disease group, where seasonal flu is present.
Following this decision of the Ministry, the ‘quarantine procedures’ applied to patients and close contacts with positive Kovid-19 test were terminated.
Following the decision, the government’s authority to declare a state of emergency, which includes ‘shortening operating hours and imposing penal sanctions on those who do not comply’, was also abolished.
MASK REQUIREMENT WAS RELEASED
In Japan, where the first case was seen in January 2020, epidemic cases exceeding 20 million in September 2022 exceeded 30 million in the first week of March. The government ended the mask requirement on March 13, leaving it to the discretion of individuals.