City sends masks to Italy, South Korea

Staffers with the Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation prepare boxes containing masks to be sent to South Korea yesterday. The city sent the first batch of 270,000 masks to five cities in Italy and South Korea yesterday to aid their battle against COVID-19. Courtesy of the foundation

The first batch of 270,000 masks organized by the Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation were sent to five of Shenzhen’s sister and friendly exchange cities yesterday to aid their battle against COVID-19.

The cities are Gwanyang, Incheon and Busan in South Korea and Turin and Milan in Italy, according to a release by the Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office yesterday.

Earlier on Sunday, 1,000 rapid-test kits manufactured by Shenzhen-based BGI Genomics were delivered to Belgrade in Serbia. It was the first-ever batch of medical aid from China to Serbia. They were donated by Chinese humanitarian organization Mammoth Foundation.

With the novel coronavirus spreading around the globe, Italy, Iran, South Korea and Spain are facing especially grim situations. Shenzhen’s sister cities have also faced challenges in combating the virus, according to the office.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Shenzhen has received a throng of greetings and assistance from its international friends, including sister cities and friendly exchange cities in Japan, Poland, France, South Korea and Germany, the office said.

By Feb. 21, the sister and friendly exchange cities had donated 71,300 masks, 500 medical preventive clothes, 2,600 goggles and 13,000 pairs of medical gloves to Shenzhen.

Among them, Tsukuba in Japan donated 10,000 masks. Gwanyang, Incheon and Busan cities of South Korea donated 40,000 masks, 500 medical preventative clothes and 2,600 goggles.

The Shenzhen South Korea Industrial and Commercial Association donated 101,150 yuan (US$14,450) to the Shenzhen Branch of China Red Cross Society, according to the office.