The Japanese government will on May 8 place COVID-19 in the same category of the infectious diseases as the seasonal flu, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Friday
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2023) The Japanese government will on May 8 place COVID-19 in the same category of the infectious diseases as the seasonal flu, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Friday.
"Until some special circumstances occur, we have confirmed that from May 8, the COVID-19 will be placed to the fifth category of infectious diseases, which also includes seasonal flu," Kishida was quoted as saying by Japanese news portal Ameba News.
Downgrading COVID-19 to Class 5 of infectious diseases will cancel a seven-day quarantine period required for those infected with the virus and a five-day isolation for those who had been in close contact with the patients, the measures many countries have already abandoned.
COVID-19 patients will reportedly receive medical treatment in ordinary hospitals instead of special facilities, and the Japanese government will cease the payments for hospitalization and care for infected citizens if the scheme is in effect and yield positive results.
COVID-related fatalities have been on the rise in Japan since early December 2022. The discrepancy between official statistics and real epidemiological situation in the country has been complicating the debate on whether the authorities should give up COVID-19 strict measures.
Experts believe that the spike has been caused not by an increased risk of complications, but by the fact that there are more deaths from pneumonias and cardiovascular disorders, strokes and heart attacks caused by COVID-19.
