A German police officer wearing a protective face mask approaches car driver at the German-Swiss border after Germany announced border controls, March 16, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS
German customs officials are attempting to track down about 6 million face masks ordered to protect health workers from the coronavirus which went missing at an airport in Kenya.
“The authorities are trying to find out what happened,” said a defence ministry spokeswoman, confirming a report first published by Spiegel Online.
The FFP2 masks, which filter out more than 90% of particles, were ordered by German customs authorities. They and the armed forces procurement office have been helping the health ministry to get hold of urgently needed protective gear.
The shipment was due in Germany on March 20 but never arrived after disappearing at the end of last week at an airport in Kenya. It was unclear why the masks, produced by a German firm, had been in Kenya.
“What exactly happened, whether this a matter of theft or a provider who isn’t serious, is being cleared up by customs,” said a government source.
ALSO READ: Thailand to declare state of emergency over coronavirus fears
Kenya’s health ministry declined to comment and a Kenyan Airports Authority (KAA) spokeswoman said the company was still assessing the situation.
Spiegel Online reported that Germany has placed orders worth 241 million euros with suppliers for protective and sanitary equipment to fight the coronavirus.
The defence ministry spokeswoman said there was no financial impact from the loss of the masks as no money had been paid.
Germany is preparing its hospitals and health workers for a big increase in admissions of patients with the virus. It has 27,436 confirmed coronavirus cases and 114 people have died, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said.
(Reuters)
Coronavirus: Panic Grips Governors Over Bauchi Gov’s Contact With Atiku’s Son
Governors in the country are currently in state of panic over the decision of the Bauchi State governor, Muhammed Bala, to go into isolation following his contact with the son of the former vice president who was confirmed to have got the coronavirus by his father… Read full story
In standard marketing practice, one of the key elements of branding is differentiation. That is…
By Kehinde Kolawole HONOURABLE Oluwole Oke is a quintessential lawmaker. He has been in the…
As Nigeria continues to grapple with various socio-economic challenges, one issue that demands urgent attention…
Aso-Oke is an age-old handicraft largely accompanied by huge profit; however, the recent skyrocketing in…
He lamented that people package a Certificate of Sponsorship for those travelling (Japa) and sell…
The APC youth leaders' network has commended the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle,…
This website uses cookies.