Distribution of cloth masks to all households Q＆A

A. The shortage of masks at retailers continues. We have secured approximately 100 million mask units and are going to consistently and rapidly distribute 2 units per household, to all 50 million households across the country, utilizing the Japan Post network.
  A.  We are going to additionally distribute masks to schools, nursing homes, and other facilities by the middle of April. We are considering other countermeasures to support households if these extra units aren’t sufficient.
  A.  Cloth masks are effective at preventing the spread of viruses into the air, which helps protect others. Wearing masks is also effective at preventing people from touching their noses or mouths, preventing viral infections from occurring. It also helps to maintain moisture in the nose and throat which will help people avoid influenza infection to some extent.
Cloth masks are washable and therefore reusable and their use will help mitigate national concerns related to the shortage of masks. A.  Japan Post will distribute 2 units per household to all households across the country through postal services and not in person. A.  We are going to start to distribute them from the week of Apr 12^th. We will prioritize shipment to prefectures based on numbers of cases. The government is considering publishing estimated delivery date notices on a prefecture-by-prefecture basis.