Coronavirus: four people arrested for selling masks with dangerous bacterial count
- The discovery was made during routine checks on shops and stalls selling protective gear
- Customs officers say the defective items could pose a health risk to some wearers and should be thrown away immediately
The four brands, which authorities said people should stop using, contained a bacterial count that exceeded the maximum allowed. They posed a risk to the public, especially the elderly and children, as well as people with a weak immune system. The brands were ONEMED, Atos, Q-FREZZ and AD PRO.
They were sold at four shops, including a pharmacy, fruit stall and grocery store, in Causeway Bay, North Point and Sheung Shui, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
Philip Li Man-kai, head of the customs’ consumer protection bureau, said officers bought 24 brands and sent them for laboratory testing.
“The four brands of masks were found to have a bacterial count exceeding the maximum limit by 0.2 to 1.35 times in the test,” Li said.
The sellers could be found in breach of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance and face up to two years in jail and a fine of HK$500,000 (US$64,500).
Li said consumers should stop the brands and sellers should also pull them from their shelves.
“If finding tainting in any face masks or detecting a smell when unwrapping the packaging, consumers must not use them,” he said.
The four brands did not list their place of manufacturing but officers suspected they came from Southeast and West Asian countries. A box of 50 masks was priced between HK$150 and HK$280. None of the defective masks were found at retail outlets.
As of Friday night, the four suspects were being held for questioning and had not been charged.
Jayamas Medica Industri, the Indonesian manufacturer of the ONEMED masks, said on Saturday neither it nor its distribution channel had ever exported the products.
“We are not sure how this managed to get to Hong Kong. This brand is only sold in Indonesia,” the company said, adding the box carried the company’s address. It also stated the bacteria count of the product met ISO standards.
Customs officers have been carrying out regular inspections of places offering protective health gear, and have bought 160 brands of masks for quality testing since January 27.
