The government has announced the easing of mask-wearing guidelines on March 13, with the decision on whether to wear masks to be left up to individuals in most situations.
However, the government will continue to recommend mask-wearing in such places as medical institutions and on crowded trains in order to prevent the elderly and others at higher risk of serious illness from being infected with the novel coronavirus.
On Friday, the government's COVID-19 task force revised its basic response policy to reflect the changes.
