Regarding the treatment of the new corona under the Infectious Diseases Act, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kato indicated his intention to proceed with discussions at an early stage for review, including downgrading to the same classification as seasonal influenza.
According to the Infectious Diseases Act, infectious diseases are classified into "type 1" to "type 5" according to the risk of aggravation and infectivity, and the contents of measures that can be taken by the national and local governments are stipulated. It is positioned as "equivalent to", and strict measures are taken to prevent the spread of infection.
At a press conference, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kato said, ``In the deliberations in the House of Representatives on the bill to revise the Infectious Disease Law, a provision has been added to promptly consider the status of the new corona under the Infectious Disease Law. I would like to proceed with discussions as soon as possible while listening to the opinions of others, ”he said, and indicated that he would proceed with discussions toward a review, including the reduction to the same ``5'' category as seasonal influenza.
After that, he pointed out, ``It is necessary to have experts dig a little deeper into how to evaluate the severity and contagiousness of the new coronavirus, and create a foundation for common understanding by the public.'' .