Criticism was directed at Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong after he twice claimed at a press conference that 10.8 billion face masks were produced each year in the province , rather than the accurate number of 1.8 billion .
During the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong came under scrutiny by claiming that 10.8 billion face masks were produced per year , by the province , while many believed the real number to be 1.8 billion .