Different states were requested to start incinerating face masks via the end of final 12 months (Picture: Getty)

German well being officials have torched more than 17 million coronavirus masks once they expired.

the large number of face coverings went utterly unused after being bought at the beginning of the pandemic.

Germany’s executive was once criticised for dashing to spend €6 billion (£5.3 billion) at the same time as the whole international looked for protective provides.

Ministers have been accused of the use of personal connections to protected the acquisition however this has now not been confirmed.

Ex-well being minister Jens Spahn justified his movements on the time by claiming his united states of america used to be facing provide shortages.

however it emerged Germany used to be searching for ways to ‘thermally dispose’ of around 730 million surgical and 60 million FFP-2 expired mask by means of the tip of remaining yr.

thus far the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg has destroyed approximately 6.1 million of the masks, even as a total of 5.5 million were burnt within the state of Saxony.

Ex-well being minister Jens Spahn used to be accused of the use of personal connections to secure mask (Image: Reuters)

The states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania discarded five million and 656,000 respectively.

A Few ELEVEN states stated they have got no longer but disposed of any face mask however have plans to do so.

Different regions mentioned they would like to wreck more of the federal masks within the long term, however are avoided by way of strict German laws.

Whilst asked whilst such an approval can be expected, a spokesperson from the well being ministry stated: ‘The BMG (Federal Ministry of Well Being) is in regular touch with both the federal states and the general Directorate of Customs.’

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