With Wednesday set to mark one year after Japan downgraded COVID-19 to a lower infectious disease status, hustle and bustle has returned to many tourist spots in the nation.
Meanwhile, medical institutions have remained on alert for a possible spread of infections, including during the Golden Week holiday period between late April and early May.
On May 8, 2023, the government reclassified COVID-19 from Level 2 to Level 5, the same level for seasonal influenza, under the infectious disease control law.