Feb 05 (NHK) - The Japanese government's expert panel on the coronavirus pandemic has decided not to recommend an age at which young children should start wearing masks.
On Friday, the panel proposed a series of measures for schools, childcare facilities and nursing care centers.
The measures take into account the characteristics of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, and are based on analyses of cluster infections.
The panel initially planned to recommend that children aged 2 and above should wear masks as much as possible, in line with a request from prefectural governors.
At Friday's meeting, pediatric care experts reportedly expressed caution. They said it may not be easy or realistic for such children to wear masks.
The panel decided not to specify an age, but it does recommend masks for children who can breathe easily in them, when possible.