Japan will consider gradually raising the entry limit on arrivals to 5,000 after it eases border controls for foreign workers and students next month, Japanese media reported, citing government officials.

The details will be finalized as early as this week, and the trend of virus infections and public opinion will to taken into account, the Asahi newspaper cited authorities as saying. The easing of the curbs does not apply to foreign tourists, it said.

Current border control measures, put in place in late November as the omicron variant started to spread, are by far the strictest among the Group of Seven advanced nations. They have also attracted criticism at home, with Japan’s top business lobby calling on the government to rethink the arrival ban.