A 68-year-old man was arrested Monday for allegedly injuring a doctor who asked him not to wear his face mask on the chin at a hospital in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, police said.

Tatsuo Shimizu from the city of Okayama was quoted by the police as saying, "I had a quarrel (with the doctor), but I didn't use violence."

Shimizu is suspected of grabbing the male doctor in the chest area, resulting in a minor injury, on Jan. 25, according to the police.

Shimizu, who was visiting the hospital for a checkup, lost his temper after the 34-year-old doctor saw him wearing his mask on the chin and asked him to wear it properly, the police said.

The doctor reported the incident to the police on Jan. 28.

While many in the public use face masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, medical experts recommend that people wear them properly to maximize effectiveness.

Sliding a mask down to the chin increases infection risk because it brings pathogens attached on the face to the mouth when the mask is pulled back up, they say.

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