Dutch gov't rejected €300 million worth face masks, gloves

Over 300 million personal protective equipment from the stock the government built up during the pandemic has been rejected for use. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health confirmed this after reporting by the Volkskrant.

According to the spokesperson, it concerns different types of protective gear, which did not pass inspection for various reasons. For example, the government bought masks with a Chinese quality mark that was considered equivalent to the FFP2 masks since the start of the crisis. But the European exception that applied to this has expired.

For other protective equipment, like glasses, for example, a bad fit could be the reason for rejection.

The Ministry is still investigating whether the rejected equipment can be used elsewhere. This includes donations to poorer countries, the spokesperson said as an example. According to the Volkskrant, the value of the rejected items is at least 300 million euros.