Seven new cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Japan on Tuesday, bringing the total to 987. That includes more than 700 from a quarantined cruise ship docked near Tokyo.
Cases are surging in Hokkaido. The governor of the northern prefecture declared a state of emergency last week.
To address the nationwide shortage of face masks,the central government plans to instruct manufacturers to sell their products to the state at set prices.
The measure is the first of its kind in Japan. It's based on a law enacted in 1973, following a period of panic buying due to an oil crisis.
Hokkaido is the top priority. 3.2 million masks will be given to 80,000 households in areas where infections are spreading rapidly.
In Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, this elderly care home is likely to run out of masks in about a month.
A survey shows nearly 20 percent of care facility operators already have none left.
Production lines are running at full speed. One of the makers, Iris Ohyama says it is shipping out 5 times as many as usual.
The government has decided to provide subsidies to three mask makers. The move is aimed at boosting domestic production to provide 600 million units per month by the end of March.
