Europe has reported low quality masks and tests imported from China.

Judge as of 2020-03-30. True: by that date, governments or health authorities in one or more European countries had publicly reported defective or substandard masks and/or COVID-19 tests imported from China (for example the Netherlands recalling masks, or Spain reporting inaccurate test kits). Both masks and tests should be covered. Mostly true: such reports existed for both, but some came shortly after 30 March or only from media rather than officials, or reports covered one item clearly and the other more thinly. Mixed: reports by that date covered only masks or only tests. Mostly false: only isolated, unconfirmed or post-date reports. False: no such European reports existed by that date, or the reported defects did not concern Chinese imports.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 COVID-19: Netherlands recalls defective Chinese face masks Euronews · 29 March 2020

   “The Netherlands has recalled hundreds of thousands of face masks imported from China after they were found to be defective, the health ministry announced on Saturday.”

2. E2 COVID-19: Netherlands recalls defective Chinese face masks Euronews · 29 March 2020

   “Spain announced on Thursday that it would return 640,000 rapid testing kits it had purchased from a Chinese company after tests on a batch already imported had found them to have a 30% detection rate.”

3. E3 Coronavirus test kits withdrawn in Spain over poor accuracy rate The Irish Times (Guardian article) · 27 March 2020

   “The Spanish government has withdrawn 9,000 Chinese-made coronavirus testing kits from use after it emerged that they had an accurate detection rate of just 30 per cent.”

4. E4 European Countries Are Throwing Out 'Rubbish' Chinese-Made Masks and Coronavirus Tests Vice · 30 March 2020

   “The Dutch government announced a recall of 600,000 FFP2 masks from hospitals on Saturday after tests showed the masks didn’t fit properly or had defective filter membranes to stop the transmission of the virus.”

Euronews (E1) reports that before 30 March 2020 the Dutch health ministry announced a recall of hundreds of thousands of defective face masks imported from China, and Vice (E4) reports a Dutch government recall of 600,000 FFP2 masks from hospitals. The Irish Times (E3) and Euronews (E2) report that before that date the Spanish government withdrew Chinese-made rapid test kits over a 30% detection rate and said it would return them. Both masks and tests were reported as substandard by European government authorities by 30 March 2020, which meets the 'true' criterion.