Japan considers downgrading Covid-19 to similar degree as seasonal flu

Tokyo CNN  — 

Japan will think about downgrading Covid-19 to the identical class as seasonal influenza this spring, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida introduced Friday.

Kishida mentioned he had instructed Well being Ministry officers to debate the transfer and his administration would additionally assessment guidelines on face masks and different pandemic measures.

“With a purpose to additional advance the efforts of ‘dwelling with Corona’ and restore Japan to a state of normalcy, we are going to transition the assorted insurance policies and measures thus far in phases,” Kishida mentioned.

Whereas day by day Covid-19 circumstances in Japan have declined in latest weeks, the nation nonetheless faces round 100,000 new infections a day.

Covid-19 is categorized as a Class 2 illness, the identical standing as tuberculosis and avian influenza, in response to Japan’s Well being Ministry. Officers will now talk about reclassifying it to Class 5 – the bottom rank, which incorporates seasonal flu.

Japan totally reopened its borders to abroad guests final October after greater than two years of pandemic restrictions, ending one of many world’s strictest border controls.

Influenza – or the frequent flu – and Covid-19 are each contagious respiratory sicknesses with simlar signs, however they’re brought on by completely different viruses and require testing to verify a analysis, the US’ Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) says on its web site.

Based on the CDC, the chance of loss of life or hospitalization from Covid-19 is greatly reduced for most individuals resulting from excessive ranges of vaccination and inhabitants immunity from earlier infections.

Nonetheless, the World Well being Group nonetheless lists the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, and reiterated in its latest update a suggestion for individuals to put on masks following latest publicity or shut contact with Covid-19, and for “anybody in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated area” to do the identical.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus known as on governments last week to proceed sharing the sequencing knowledge of the coronavirus, because it remained important to detect and observe the emergence and unfold of recent variants.

“It’s comprehensible that international locations can not preserve the identical ranges of testing and sequencing they’d in the course of the Omicron peak. On the similar time, the world can not shut its eyes and hope this virus will go away. It received’t,” he mentioned.

The information got here as South Korea introduced it should carry its masks mandate for many indoor areas, with exceptions for public transport and well being services. The adjustments will take impact on January 30, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo mentioned Friday.

The measure can be lifted after the Lunar New 12 months vacation, when a lot of persons are anticipated to journey, the Korea Illness Management and Prevention Company (KDCA) mentioned.

New Covid-19 circumstances, extreme circumstances and associated deaths are all declining and the nation’s medical response capability stays steady, KDCA added.

The company has strongly really helpful individuals put on masks if they’ve Covid-19 associated signs, belong to a high-risk group, have been involved lately with a constructive case, or are in a crowded area.

The prime minister mentioned the easing of the mandate may end in a short lived surge of recent circumstances and urged well being authorities to remain vigilant.

South Korea has scrapped most of its pandemic restrictions and eased its out of doors masks mandate in Could 2022. It nonetheless requires individuals who check constructive to endure seven days of house isolation.

The nation has additionally restricted journey from mainland China and applied testing necessities for individuals arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau following Beijing’s easing of Covid restrictions.