Each Railway Firm to Set Mask Policy from Mon.

Tokyo, March 7 (Jiji Press)--A liaison committee of railway operators in Japan announced a decision Tuesday on allowing each member company to determine a policy from Monday on mask wearing as a novel coronavirus countermeasure.

The decision is included in the committee’s revised COVID-19 guidelines. The move came as the government announced last month that beginning on Monday, people should make their own decisions on whether to wear face masks both indoors and outdoors. The committee comprises Japan Railways Group companies and other railway firms.

East Japan Railway Co. <9020>, or JR East, West Japan Railway Co. <9021>, or JR West, and Central Japan Railway Co. <9022>, or JR Tokai, said that they will no longer call for mask wearing through on-train and in-station announcements from Monday.

Last December, the committee released the fourth edition of its COVID-19 guidelines, including measures to avoid closed, crowded and close-contact settings. Based on the current edition, railway operators are calling on passengers to wear masks and refrain from talking much or loudly on trains.

The revised guidelines continue to call on railway firms to ensure proper ventilation inside and regular disinfection of trains while a request for passengers to wear masks and wording regarding mask use by employees were removed.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]