Coronavirus: Substandard masks and gloves on sale in Cyprus

A large number of masks and gloves on sale in Cyprus have been found to be noncompliant with personal protective equipment standards, results of lab tests released on Monday showed.

The PPE monitoring exercise was part of a Europe wide project in which the ministry of labour partook and which was funded by the European Commission.

A hundred individual samples of masks and gloves were examined in total, with the tests being conducted by labs who specialise in testing such equipment.

Reasons for the non-compliance included lack of proper labelling, which would instruct the user on the proper usage and what certifications the product may have, as well as subpar protective qualities.

Nearly all KN95 masks, which are traditionally designed to prevent the exposure to large droplets and extremely small particles, did not meet the testing criteria.

Moreover, more than 50 per cent of the gloves tested were also found to be noncompliant with the designated criteria.

Authorities have moved to have the products withdrawn from sale.