Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Signs Contract Again with Defective Mask Supplier

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] It has been reported that the Japanese government has renewed contracts with companies that caused a controversy over defective masks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Mainichi Shimbun on the 22nd, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare signed private contracts with three companies?Kowa, Itochu Corporation, and Matsuoka Corporation?to secure masks necessary for distributing cloth masks to every household.

However, among these, Kowa and Itochu are manufacturers that experienced turmoil as contaminants and mold were found in the masks they supplied, leading to a full recall.

A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official stated, "We signed the contracts based on quality, price, and supply capacity," adding, "The two companies that supplied defective masks will undergo re-inspection."

The Japanese government did not disclose the contract amounts.

The Japanese government had planned to distribute two cloth masks to every household to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, problems were identified such as the produced masks being too small to adequately cover the nose and mouth, and foreign substances appearing in the masks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Moreover, due to the defective mask controversy, masks were not properly distributed. As of the 18th of this month, a total of 14.5 million cloth masks had been distributed, which was far short of the government's target of 130 million masks by mid-May.

Japanese media analyzed that the resolution of the mask issue in Japan amid the spread of COVID-19 was because masks could be imported from China, where the spread of COVID-19 had slowed, allowing for relatively more availability.