The government plans to shorten the period for which students infected with the coronavirus have to stay home, starting from May 8 when it will downgrade the legal classification of COVID-19, officials said Tuesday.
The measure will be taken in line with the government's plan to lower the status of COVID-19 under the Infectious Diseases Law to Category V, the same level as seasonal influenza.
Currently, students in elementary, junior high and high school are asked to stay home from school for seven days after coronavirus symptoms appear, in principle. But the suspension period will be shortened to five days, which is the same as for seasonal flu.
At present, both children and adults with coronavirus symptoms are required to refrain from going out for seven days from the day after they develop symptoms, in line with the Infectious Diseases Law.
After the planned downgrade in May, the central and local governments will no longer be entitled to urge people to isolate as there will be no legal grounds for staying home for a certain period. People will be free to make their own decision on whether to go out or not.
However, the government plans to suggest "five days from the day after exhibiting symptoms" as a guideline for the period necessary for recuperation, taking into consideration expert opinions and the results of surveys on the period in which the infectious virus remains in the body. As for students and children under school age, the government plans to, in principle, ask them to stay home for five days after symptoms appear by revising the School Health and Safety Law's regulation for enforcement.
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