Read ‘em：マスク「外す場面増やした」

Forty-seven percent of respondents across Japan said they are removing masks they wear as a measure against the coronavirus on more occasions, but there is a gender gap among those who still use the face coverings, a recent Mainichi Shimbun poll has found.

In the latest nationwide survey conducted on June 17 and 18, people who were going without masks more often rose 2 percentage points from 45% in the previous survey in May. Meanwhile, those who were continuing to wear the face coverings dropped 3 points from May to 48%, falling below 50% for the first time since March, when the question was first asked. Those who answered that they weren’t donning masks to begin with accounted for 4%, compared to 3% in the previous survey.

By gender, 60% of women continue to wear masks, while 50% of men said they take them off on more occasions. By age group, 80% of those aged 18 to 29 and 60% of those in their 30s and 40s are going without masks more often, while 50% of those in their 60s and 70% of those aged 70 and older continue to wear them.

Forty-seven percent of respondents across Japan said they are removing masks they wear as a measure against the coronavirus on more occasions, but there is a gender gap among those who still use the face coverings, a recent Mainichi Shimbun poll has found.

In the latest nationwide survey conducted on June 17 and 18, people who were going without masks more often rose 2 percentage points from 45% in the previous survey in May. Meanwhile, those who were continuing to wear the face coverings dropped 3 points from May to 48%, falling below 50% for the first time since March, when the question was first asked. Those who answered that they weren’t donning masks to begin with accounted for 4%, compared to 3% in the previous survey.

By gender, 60% of women continue to wear masks, while 50% of men said they take them off on more occasions. By age group, 80% of those aged 18 to 29 and 60% of those in their 30s and 40s are going without masks more often, while 50% of those in their 60s and 70% of those aged 70 and older continue to wear them.

　17、18日実施の毎日新聞全国世論調査で新型コロナウイルス対策のマスク着用について聞いたところ、「外す場面を増やした」が47％で、5月の前回調査（45％）から2ポイント上昇した。「着用を続けている」は5月から3ポイント下落の48％で、同様の質問を始めた3月以降、初めて5割を切った。

　「もともとマスクはしていない」は4％（前回3％）だった。女性は「着用を続けている」が6割に上る一方、男性は「外す場面を増やした」が5割を占め、男女で対応に違いが出た。年代別では「外す場面を増やした」が18～29歳の8割、30、40代の6割を占めた。60代の5割、70歳以上の7割は「着用を続けている」とした。

　政府は3月13日、それまで屋外は原則不要、屋内は距離が確保できる場合などを除き着用を求めていたマスクのルールについて、屋内か屋外かを問わず「個人の判断が基本」とする方針に改めた。その直後の18、19日に行った3月調査では「着用を続けている」との回答が68％を占め、「外す場面を増やした」（30％）の2倍超に上ったが、「着用を続けている」と「外す場面を増やした」の比率差は4月調査では63％対34％、5月調査で51％対45％と月を追うごとに詰まっている。