RO minister: half of the protective face masks on sale are of no use against COVID-19

Half of the face masks sold as personal protective equipment in Romania offer no protection against COVID-19, economy minister Virgil Popescu said on Wednesday, November 25, Hotnews.ro reported.

The Economy Ministry will issue an order to force retailers to mark the "non-compliant products," - namely the face masks produced for other purposes, not meeting the specific filtration requirements (the so-called "cotton face masks").

Popescu said that the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) would issue an order on Thursday to regulate how the masks will be labeled.

For masks that do not meet the standards and do not meet the filtration requirements, the labels must state that these products "do not protect against COVID-19."

They will also not be sold as "protective masks" but as "face covering" products.

To make things clear, minister Popescu said that all masks produced in Romania are good, while all the non-compliant masks are imported.

A handful of Romanian investors developed personal protective equipment factories during the summer, and their production can now cover the whole domestic demand for face masks.

Wearing face masks is now mandatory throughout Romania, even in outdoor spaces. However, this could change after the expected COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

(Photo: Ministerul Economiei Facebook Page)