The inclusion of free virus tests was largely overlooked in the sweeping coronavirus policy package Prime Minister Fumio Kishida rolled out Friday morning.
And yet, after nearly two years of criticism that Japan isn’t testing enough people, it was a subtle but strong sign of a shift in the country’s attitude toward proactive countermeasures and the long-term implications of the pandemic.
Kishida announced Friday that, while new cases are rising, individuals who can’t be vaccinated for health reasons and who don’t have symptoms but are concerned they have been infected can receive a PCR or antigen test before taking part in certain economic or social activities.