Japan is less than two weeks away from downgrading COVID-19 to the lowest level on its scale for infectious diseases.

Many businesses in the country say the move, which will allow them to return to pre-pandemic operations, cannot come soon enough.

A grilled chicken restaurant in Tokyo has been repeatedly shortening its hours over the past three years to comply with the capital's anti-virus measures. When COVID is downgraded to the same level as seasonal flu on May 8, authorities will no longer have legal grounds to ask for such restrictions.

Yamashina Masahiko, the restaurant owner, said, "I'm very happy a state of emergency will no longer be declared."
The restaurant took anti-infection measures such as installing homemade partitions and removing some seats. It has put the seats back and its capacity has now almost returned what it was before the pandemic.

"I'll do all I can to keep moving forward," Yamashina said.

The downgrade will allow more medical institutions to examine and treat people with the illness. The health ministry aims to have more than 60,000 facilities nationwide accept COVID outpatients. People will have to pay for their own tests and for outpatient treatment.

Japanese Health Minister Kato Katsunobu said, "This is a big step toward normal times."

However, the ministry warns that the coronavirus has not disappeared. It says anyone who gets infected should stay home for five days after developing symptoms.

Hamada Atsuo, a professor at Tokyo Medical University said, "When droplet infections increase, we should maintain social distancing. We've learned a new way of living through the pandemic. It's important for us to keep on that way."

Hamada added that Japan could still see waves of infection. He says cases could rise during the summer holidays when more people meet one another, or in winter when the air is dry.