NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday announced customs duty exemption on a host of imported equipment — from ventilators and testing kits to face and surgical masks to personal protection equipment — needed to tackle Covid-19. The exemption, which is available till September 30, has been extended to inputs used to manufacture the items, the finance ministry said in a late evening statement.On March 31, TOI was the first to report about the proposal moved by the commerce department, in consultation with the health ministry and the pharma department.The ministries had also proposed to do away with integrated GST, which is levied on imported goods, but that plan will need to be ratified by the GST Council.