Canada An unidentified 73-year-old man was shot dead by Ontario police after refusing to wear a mask and assaulting a grocery store employee.

The 73-year-old allegedly attacked a Valu-Mart store employee in the town of Minden, Ontario, Canada, on July 16, after the employee asked him to wear a mask to prevent Covid-19 from spreading.

According to an employee at the store, the man refused to wear a mask, assaulted him to remind himself, and then boarded the car before he was called.

Police were informed of the incident but did not block the man's vehicle "for public safety".

"There was an interaction between the two policemen and the man and two officers who opened fire. The man was hit by the bullet," the Special Investigation Unit of the Province of Ontario (SIU) said, adding that the man died immediately.

The identity of the victim has not been revealed, but police say he is from the Eagle Lake area, Kenora district of Ontario.

Covid-19 has appeared in more than 210 countries and territories, causing nearly 14 million people infected, more than 593,000 died.