California to get $247M refund as masks face delivery delay

California to get $247M refund as masks face delivery delay

4 years ago
Anonymous $pSba0tWIcA

https://apnews.com/7105ec5d5f02f611146dcf89995770f9

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will be refunded $247 million it paid to a Chinese company under a major deal for protective masks after the company failed to meet a deadline for federal certification of the masks, Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration said Wednesday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the contract last month to fanfare, saying California had inked a nearly $1 billion deal for about 500 million protective masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Most were set to be tight-fitting N-95 respirator masks, while the rest would be surgical masks. Millions of the surgical masks already arrived, but the company missed an April 30 deadline outlined in the contract for certification of the N95 masks by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.