Some 300,000 coronavirus masks sent to pregnant women in Japan as part of a government handout have been found to be faulty.

Indonesian tailors have created see-through masks for deaf people so they can read lips.

China says it will ease an export restriction on some medical equipment which required domestic approval before they could be sold overseas.

A life-size model of an elephant wearing a mask is being driven around the city of Chennai, southern India, as part of a public awareness campaign to curb the spread of coronavirus in the region.

Thousands of masks illegally imported and illegally marketed throughout Italy have been seized.

Iran has begun mass production of protective face masks for domestic use.

Iran has largely relied on homegrown efforts to fight the pandemic.