Japan lowers COVID threat level to same as flu in major policy shift

Japan on Monday downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza and greatly relaxed its related health measures, marking a major shift in its approach after three years of dealing with the coronavirus.The reclassification of COVID-19 to Class 5 means decisions on anti-coronavirus prevention measures are now up to individuals and businesses. But experts are still calling on the government to ensure medical institutions can properly respond to another potential future surge in the number of infections.The government has removed most of its guidelines, such a…READ FULL ARTICLE