Germany to Burn Almost 800 Million Unused Covid Masks
(Bloomberg) -- Germany is set to burn almost 800 million unused face masks purchased in the first months of the pandemic because they have passed their sell-by date.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Putin Orders Sakhalin-1 Project Transferred to Russian Entity
Minecraft Star Dream Meets His Screaming Fans for First Time
Wall Street Is Missing the Risk to Stocks If Inflation Is Beaten
Facebook Is Warning 1 Million Users About Stolen Usernames, Passwords
Initial calls for tenders have been issued for candidates to “thermally dispose” of about 730 million surgical and 60 million FFP-2 expired medical face covers, the health ministry’s press service said on Friday, confirming an earlier report by Der Spiegel magazine. In addition, about 20% of masks procured since March 2020 were deemed to have quality defects, the ministry said.
Germany spent €6 billion ($5.9 billion) on face covers at the start of the pandemic, according to Spiegel. Former Health Minister Jens Spahn was criticized at the time for excessive procurement and for using personal connections to buy masks, steps he defended by citing major supply shortages and a desperation to obtain protective coverings swiftly.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Hackers Target Eager Homebuyers With a Dumb Scam That Keeps Working
Even After $100 Billion, Self-Driving Cars Are Going Nowhere
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.