Japan downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza, which is a major change in medical rules after over three years of pandemic, the government announced Monday.

As COVID-19 was lowered to Category 5 under the infectious disease law, an isolation requirement for infected people and their close contacts are no longer required, it said in a statement.

Previously, the disease was categorized as Category 2, the second highest on Japan’s five-tier classification system.

But the government still recommends patients to stay home for five days after infection and wear a mask for 10 days.

The country had already eased masking recommendations on March 13, and lifted COVID-19 border controls for all arrivals on April 29.

Source: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)