National Aug 12, 2020
'Everyone else is doing it': Social conformity a top motive for Japanese to wear masks
A team of psychologists surveyed 1,000 people and found that the top reason for wearing masks was because everyone else was doing so.
Business / Corporate Aug 8, 2020
Japan's Saizeriya restaurant 'develops' face mask to wear when eating
Japanese restaurant chain operator Saizeriya Co. has "developed" a face mask for use when eating and drinking, possibly a boon to eateries around the world hit hard by social distancing necessitated by the coronavirus. The method unveiled by the Italian restaurant chain Friday in a ...
World Aug 5, 2020
Fourth of July gatherings, graduation parties, no-mask weddings, crowded bars — there are reasons the U.S. has racked up more than 155,000 coronavirus deaths, by far the most of any country, and is fast approaching an off-the-charts 5 million confirmed infections, easily the highest ...
National Aug 2, 2020
After the program was criticized as inefficient and wasteful, the prime minister appears to have ditched his "Abenomask" for a larger commercial mask that fits him better.
National Aug 1, 2020
Japanese government to lift resale ban on masks as makers offset shortages
The ban was imposed to deter scalpers, but suppliers have since ramped up production enough to resolve the nationwide shortage.
National Jul 30, 2020
The Japanese government is considering postponing the launch of the distribution of some 80 million additional cloth face masks to nursing care homes and other facilities, health ministry officials have said. It is now uncertain when the government will start the distribution program, which was ...
National Jul 28, 2020
Japan persists with 'Abenomask' giveaway, reigniting social media outcry
The government is pushing ahead with the distribution of its much derided "Abenomasks" even though commercially made masks are now readily available.
World Jul 28, 2020
Tighter rules slow virus in U.S., but victory remains far away
Officials wonder whether they can force infection rates down again, as they did in the spring — and this time, make them stick until a vaccine arrives.
Asia Pacific Jul 23, 2020
There were few bare faces among rush-hour commuters in Australia’s second-largest city on Thursday morning as Melbourne residents were largely complying with a new law making face coverings compulsory.
National Jul 23, 2020
Single-use masks and coronavirus waste end up polluting ocean
It was reported earlier in the month that disposable masks were found floating underwater and on seabeds, caught among ghost nets and other debris.
World / Politics | FOCUS Jul 21, 2020
Trump’s sudden push for mask-wearing follows allies’ defections
The mask may have reached a tipping point. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday pushed to encourage mask-wearing, explicitly endorsing a measure widely seen as crucial to stemming the coronavirus pandemic, and potentially quelling a bitter debate that experts say costs lives. The president, who ...