One of the cloth masks to be distributed to households nationwide is seen with mold growing on it, in this April 18, 2020 photo provided by a source close to the government's task force for masks and other virus crisis supplies.

TOKYO -- The government plans to continue its delivery of free cloth masks nationwide as part of its plans to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, despite the discovery of bugs, hair and mold in some masks during inspections.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced on April 18 that among the masks it sent out to pregnant women, there were 1,901 product problem reports. As a result, it decided to suspend distribution to expectant parents on April 21.

According to a source close to the government's task force for masks and other virus crisis supplies, irregularities and defects had been discovered among the masks it was preparing for distribution to all Japan's households as of April 18. Yet these findings were not publicly announced.

The problems bring up questions about government attention to hygiene issues, and also will likely delay nationwide distribution.

The cloth masks were bought in bulk by the national government as part of an initiative to send two to all Japan's 50 million households, at a cost thus far of around 46 billion yen (about $427 million).

Priority deliveries began at the end of March, with 500,000 going to pregnant women, 19.3 million to care homes and welfare facilities, and another 8 million to children in elementary, junior high and high school. After them, the masks are being sent to areas with high numbers of confirmed infections, such as Tokyo.

Complaints about the masks distributed to pregnant women included that the masks were discolored, that they had hairs in them, and that they smelled bad.

Municipal governments in western Japan's Osaka Prefecture also confirmed that some masks were discolored, some had yellowed gauze and others had foreign objects in them. Following the announcement, Twitter users vented their concerns, posting, "Are they bad for your body?" and, "I can't use them with a sense of safety."

According to an internal memo circulated at the government task force, 200 instances of bugs, hairs, lint, mold, and other irregularities were reported by April 18, among the 2 million masks starting to be packed for shipments to households. No announcement was made.

When asked why there was no announcement of defects for any masks excluding those being sent out to pregnant women, the health ministry's Economic Affairs Division, which is in charge of mask distribution, said, "We cannot respond to this query." On the planned dissemination of the masks to households across the nation, it stated, "At this time we have no plans to suspend it."

In response to the discovery of irregularities in the cloth masks to be sent to households, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told an April 22 press conference that those found with defects "were excluded before distribution, and right now we do not plan to change our schedule."

Suga explained, "The two cloth masks being distributed to each address are inspected by the manufacturer, and we also check the delivered products before we send them to ensure quality. During the manufacturing and the distribution process, there may be certain amounts of defective products. But those are appropriately excluded when preparing to actually send them out."

(Japanese original by Asako Kamihigashi, Integrate Digital News Center,and Shinichi Akiyama, Political News Department)