Industry groups of retailers and restaurant operators in Japan may revise their anti-infection guidelines in the wake of the downgrading of COVID-19's legal status.

Twelve industry associations comprising department stores, supermarkets and convenience stores have jointly drawn up a set of guidelines to prevent the spread of infections.

Under the guidelines, customers are asked to wear face masks at all times inside stores or when talking at eat-in spaces. Staffers are required to wear masks properly.

With the projected reclassification of the disease, however, some industry groups are calling for discussions on modifying the guidelines.
The restaurant industry has also set its own guidelines, which include displaying a notice at the entrance of each establishment asking customers to wear masks while not eating. Business operators are also requested to set up partitions between tables or arrange them so that they are at least a meter apart.

The Japan Foodservice Association, made up of restaurant chains and others, has said it will hold talks with relevant parties on reviewing the guidelines.