Bugs and Mold Found in 'Abe's Mask'... Can Japan Distribute Them Nationwide?

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to distribute cloth masks to every household nationwide to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, according to a report by Mainichi Shimbun on the 22nd, problems such as insects and other foreign substances found inside the packaged masks, as well as mold growth, have been repeatedly confirmed, making the distribution difficult.

Mainichi cited an internal document distributed to the Japanese government's COVID-19 task force, stating that among the 2 million cloth masks whose packaging began for distribution to all households, 200 cases of problems were confirmed on the 18th, including foreign substances such as insects, hair, threads, and mold.

Mainichi reported, "The government has not disclosed this (to the public)," adding, "The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Economic Division, responsible for mask distribution, said they 'cannot answer' why defective products were not publicly announced. They also stated that they are not currently considering suspending mask distribution." The Japanese government decided to temporarily suspend distribution after continuous reports of problems with the 500,000 cloth masks distributed nationwide for pregnant women since the 14th.

Katsunobu Kato, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, stated at a press conference the previous day that defects in masks for pregnant women amounted to 7,870 masks across 143 basic local governments, and expressed his intention to temporarily suspend mask distribution and investigate the cause. Minister Kato did not comment on defects found in masks distributed separately to 50 million households nationwide, two masks per household.

The Japanese government is promoting the nationwide cloth mask distribution project under Prime Minister Abe's directive. However, as defective products continue to appear and issues such as small size or shrinkage after washing are repeatedly pointed out, the project has become a target of criticism.

Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary, said at a regular press conference that morning in response to questions about defective masks distributed to all households, "Regarding the distribution of two cloth masks per household, I understand that quality is guaranteed by the manufacturer's inspection and by checking the products delivered by the manufacturer before distribution."

Secretary Suga added, "While some defective products may occur during production and distribution processes, they are appropriately excluded before actual distribution," and said, "At this point, there are no plans to consider returning the products to the manufacturer." He also stated, "I have heard that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is requesting the manufacturer to review the production system and confirm and strengthen the inspection system regarding this matter," and added, "We will pay close attention to the quality of the masks and distribute them so that the public can live with peace of mind."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.