Japanese media recently reported that the Japanese government is discussing to lower the position of COVID-19 infection in the Infectious Diseases Law of Japan from March to April next year, and adjust it to "five categories" at the same level as influenza. According to the Kyodo News Agency on the 28th, government officials revealed that the Japanese government will make a judgment after the beginning of next year, based on the observation of the eighth wave of the domestic epidemic situation, referring to the discussion at the review meeting of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor and the opinions of local government officials. With regard to the public expenditure of medical expenses and hospitalization expenses, the Japanese government is discussing maintaining them as a transitional measure. It is expected that they can receive treatment free of charge for some time. However, in principle, the five categories of infectious diseases in the Infectious Diseases Law of Japan will produce the part that needs to be paid at one's own expense. According to the report, COVID-19 is currently positioned in Japan as a "new influenza and other infectious diseases" that can implement the most extensive measures such as movement restrictions on patients and close contacts. This positioning is conditional on the rapid spread of the disease throughout the country, which may have a serious impact on the lives and health of citizens. In the context of the reduction of COVID-19's mortality rate, the public opinion that COVID-19 does not meet the positioning has increased, so the Japanese government has started to coordinate. If COVID-19 infection is downgraded to category 5, the isolation of infected persons and the restriction on the travel of secret contacts based on the Infectious Diseases Law will be cancelled. At present, the hospitalization measures and suggestions mainly targeting the elderly and other people with high risk of becoming serious will also be unable to be implemented. In addition, with regard to the law on special measures to deal with COVID-19, which stipulates the "declaration of emergency" and "key measures to prevent spread", COVID-19 will no longer be its target, and the response headquarters of the Japanese government will be abolished. According to the relevant personnel of the Japanese government, the time for downgrading the location of COVID-19 infection will also consider the response of medical front-line and local governments, and the end of March next year may be one of the candidate times. (Liu Xinshe)