1 Sep

Japan's health ministry says children under two years of age should not wear face masks, citing the risk of choking and heatstroke.

The ministry on Friday released on its website guidelines for mask usage by preschool children to help prevent coronavirus infections.

It said guardians and adults should pay attention to the health condition of children when they put a mask on them. It noted that children do not have to wear any if they feel ill.

The ministry said infants below the age of two should not wear a mask, because it's difficult for them to take it off by themselves or express a feeling of suffocation.

Earlier in August, the World Health Organization said in its guidelines that children aged five years and under should not be required to wear masks.

In May and June, the Japan Pediatric Society and other groups warned that wearing masks is risky for children under two years of age.

nhk