The federal government has suspended shipments of N95 masks from a Montreal-based supplier after about eight million masks made in China failed to meet specifications.
The office of Procurement Minister Anita Anand says that of the nearly 11 million masks received from the distributor, about one million met federal standards and another 1.6 million masks are still being tested.
N95 masks used to protect against COVID-19 are so-named because they are supposed to screen out 95 per cent of small particles.
The department says none of the approximately eight million masks that did not meet federal standards were distributed for medical use, though assessment is ongoing for other uses. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest