Health Minister Kato Katsunobu made the announcement on Thursday.
The Japanese government ranks infectious diseases on a five-point severity scale. COVID-19 is currently at its current level and influenza at its lowest.
Level 2 allows for strict measures to prevent the spread of a disease, up to the restrictions imposed on the movements of people in recent years.
The Japanese government will no longer take such measures when the resolution to reclassify COVID-19 takes effect.
This update also means there will be more medical facilities to care for coronavirus patients.
Economically, expenses such as coronavirus testing and outpatient care will no longer run through state coffers.
But the government will continue to fund vaccines until further notice.
Kato had originally proposed the update in late January at a pandemic task force meeting with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and other cabinet members.
At a news conference Thursday, he said the resolution became official after consulting with a team of clinical experts.
“We are entering a new phase of the pandemic and taking a significant step towards returning to normalcy,” Kato said, though he cautioned that the virus will not go away.
Kato said the ministry would not hesitate to reconsider the resolution if cases worsened, such as the emergence of a more potent strain of the virus.
Kato called on citizens to continue to take fundamental steps in collaboration with medical facilities, senior facilities and governments.
He added that we deserve to pay special attention to others who are at the highest risk of severe symptoms.
Professor Hamada Atsuo of Tokyo University Medical Hospital also says we let our guard down.
He notes that coronavirus cases have surged in recent weeks amid a surge in travel, adding that more and more people are choosing not to wear masks.
Hamada also says immunity gained with vaccines and beyond infections is waning.
Looking ahead, he says we need to watch out for a primary outbreak in the summer, Bon’s annual holiday season, as well as in November and December.
Under the new classification, the government can no longer legally order other enraged people to stay at home, but will propose a five-day era of self-isolation.
Currently, those who test positive regularly must isolate for at least seven days, plus a 24-hour period without symptoms. Asymptomatic Americans isolate for at least five days.
Professor Hamada said the isolation period should be limited to five days. After that, he says other people should wear a mask for about 10 days to avoid infecting others.