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Poland to receive Covid-19 test kits, face masks from China

19.03.2020 13:15
Poland will receive thousands of test kits, face masks and other protective gear such as suits and gloves from China as it steps up efforts to contain a coronavirus epidemic, the Polish foreign ministry has said.
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.Photo: PAP/Wojciech Olkuśnik

“Although the battle with coronavirus in China is not over yet, the country decided to show solidarity with Poland and assist us with a supply of test kits to uncover COVID-19 and protective medical products,” the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement.

It added that China would send Poland more than 10,000 test kits, 20,000 masks, 5,000 protective suits, 5,000 medical goggles, 10,000 single-use medical gloves, and 10,000 shoe covers.

The statement follows a phone conversation between Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and the Chinese ambassador in Warsaw, Liu Guangyuan, the gov.pl website reported.


According to the Polish foreign ministry, during the conversation, the Chinese ambassador “expressed his gratitude towards Poland” for supporting his country “in the most difficult initial period of the Covid-19 outbreak.”

Poland at the time provided China with both political and “practical” support, the foreign ministry in Warsaw said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda in early February sent a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping to voice solidarity with that country amid a coronavirus outbreak in its central province of Hubei.

Meanwhile, China on Thursday reported no new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 for the first time since January.

This appeared to mark a major milestone in that country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

(gs)

Source: IAR, gov.pl