The government is considering lowering the classification of COVID-19 under the Infectious Diseases Control Law around the Golden Week holiday period in early May.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida might be hoping to show people in Japan and overseas that the country has overcome the coronavirus pandemic ahead of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima on May 19-21.
If dangerous mutant variants become prevalent before the status change, the government plans to postpone the reclassification.
