Japan eyes shortened isolation for Omicron close contacts

The Japanese government is considering shortening the current 14-day isolation period to 10 days for those identified as having been in close contact with a person infected with the Omicron COVID-19 variant, officials said Thursday.The envisioned policy change, aimed at minimizing social disruption and preventing a strain on the medical system, comes as research suggests Omicron has a shorter incubation period than other variants of the virus.But it could also fuel public concern about the recent alarming pace of rise in the number of daily coronavirus infections in the country, which repor…READ FULL ARTICLE