A freeze has been placed on the delivery of millions of face masks from China after two European Union member states complained about the low quality of the protective equipment.
European Commission health spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker announced the suspension of some 10 million masks on Thursday. The hold came after the first batch of 1.5 million masks, purchased from a Chinese provider through an EU fund, was sent out to healthcare workers in 17 EU countries and the United Kingdom.
Polish Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski complained that the 600,000 his country received did not adhere to medical standards. The Netherlands also highlighted the poor quality of the supplies.
“We have decided to suspend future deliveries of these masks,” De Keersmaecker said, according to Al Jazeera. “We will then see what action needs to be taken if there is indeed a quality problem with these masks.”
“If necessary, we will of course take any necessary legal action,” De Keersmaecker added. “It is of utmost importance that personal protective equipment sent out by the commission is of very high quality.”
The EU is urging other countries that received the supplies to assess the products and give feedback on the quality. Europe has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with Italy emerging early on as a hot spot, followed by other countries, including Spain and the U.K.
