The government has eased its travel warning over the COVID-19 pandemic for 34 countries, including China, South Korea and India, and is no longer requesting that residents in Japan refrain from nonessential trips to those nations.

The Foreign Ministry on Friday also lowered its travel advisory for France, Germany and Italy, as well as other 11 European nations, to Level 1 — the lowest on its four-point scale — advising Japanese nationals traveling to those regions to "stay fully alert."

The total number of areas under the Level 1 category has increased to 70. In late May, Japan moved 36 countries and regions to the lowest level, including the United States, Britain, Canada and Hong Kong.

The relaxation of the warning for South Korea came two days after flights between Seoul's Gimpo Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport resumed. They had been suspended for more than two years due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, 90 nations and regions remain under the Level 2 warning, including 16 in Asia and Oceania, such as Taiwan, Indonesia and Australia, along with 27 European nations. As for the Level 3 advisory, which urges residents to avoid all travel, all 41 countries remain unchanged.