German health minister facing calls to resign over mask furore

Jens Spahn's ministry is accused of planning to distribute substandard Covid masks to vulnerable people

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Germany's health minister is facing calls to resign over accusations his ministry planned to distribute face masks considered inadequate protection against Covid-19 to socially and physically vulnerable people.

Jens Spahn was the subject of a fierce debate in the German parliament, the Bundestag, on Wednesday afternoon, in which he was accused of putting the desire to be seen to be acting to tackle the pandemic ahead of safety concerns.