Cloth mask delivery set to begin under controversial Abe initiative

Cloth masks started arriving at post offices in Tokyo on Thursday under a controversial Japanese government program for their universal distribution to help contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.With the number of people infected with the pneumonia-causing virus drastically increasing in Tokyo and other big cities in recent weeks, the government will begin delivering two washable masks to each household by mail on Friday in hard-hit areas. It aims to complete delivery nationwide by the end of May.The 46.6 billion yen ($431 million) program to distribute a total of 100 million masks, howeve…READ FULL ARTICLE