The government has decided that starting March 13 it will basically be left up to individuals to decide whether to mask up, an infection control measure against the novel coronavirus, be it indoors or outdoors.

At schools, teachers and students will also basically not have to wear masks at graduation ceremonies, which will be held soon, typically in March. And they will no longer be called on to don masks in the new school year that begins in April.

The public will still be “recommended” to mask up in certain situations, including at medical institutions and in crowded trains and buses.

There are, however, other places that are packed with large numbers of the public, such as basement levels of department stores. Operators of similar establishments will be allowed, at their discretion, to call on visitors to wear masks.

People could therefore face different mask-wearing policies at different facilities.

That raises concerns that confusion and disputes could arise over mask use, although a certain period has been set aside to prepare for the eased regulations.

We are also worried the measure could increase the workload of front-line staff, such as school officials who administer graduation ceremonies, where parents who attend will still be asked to wear masks.

A view was presented during a very recent meeting of a health ministry expert panel that it was desirable for people to continue wearing masks when they are indoors.

Concerns were also raised during a meeting of a separate health ministry working group that easing the recommendations could be seen as a misleading message that masks are no longer necessary.

We are left to wonder why the government is being so hasty in shifting its mask policy without waiting for the legal status of COVID-19 to be downgraded to a Class V infectious disease on May 8.

Tokyo has seldom given ample explanations on the matter, including on its negative consequences.

A leaflet issued by the health ministry says that elderly people and pregnant women can “effectively” defend themselves by donning masks when they go to crowded places.

Data presented by experts shows, however, that the use of masks is effective only when the majority of the public wear ones and has limited COVID-19 prevention effects when few others are wearing ones.

The number of infection cases in Japan is on a downward trend, but more patients have died from the novel coronavirus this winter in the country than at any other time. The caseload could rebound toward the end of the fiscal and school year in March.

The decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions does not appear to be consistent with the previous government policy that placed foremost priority on keeping down the numbers of patients with serious symptoms and deaths.

The use of masks is part of a set of infection control measures that the government has sought, over the past three years, to take root in society.

Other components of what Tokyo has collectively called a “new lifestyle” include avoiding the so-called “Three Cs” (closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings), washing and sanitizing hands and fingers, and maintaining a physical distance from others.

The Asahi Shimbun said, in an editorial last month, that there should be, for starters, a “comprehensive review of the norms for life under the pandemic as a whole” as part of “careful efforts to build a broad consensus based on diverse opinions.”

The government, however, has made the latest decision all too hastily without assigning time to do what we suggested.

Measures should, of course, be reviewed if they are poorly based.

More than a few people, however, likely have doubts about the wisdom of singling out the use of masks from the entire range of infection control measures that are in place and calling it unnecessary ahead of the rest.

An opinion poll has shown that many people support easing infection control measures but many are cautious, at the same time, about ending the use of masks.

Rushing things too much could create unnecessary discord and confrontations.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 12