(Dan Tri) – China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country is in `urgent need` of medical protective equipment as the number of deaths and infections of the corona virus is increasing.
Workers work at a mask factory in China.
“What China urgently needs now are medical masks, protective clothing and goggles,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press conference on February 3.
Fear of the new corona virus causing pneumonia caused Chinese people, a country with 1.4 billion people, to rush to stock up on disposable medical masks.
According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if operating at full capacity, factories in this country would only produce about 20 million masks per day.
China’s Foreign Ministry said countries including South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and Hungary have donated medical equipment to China.
Tian Yulong, an official at China’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, said today that authorities are taking steps to import masks from Europe, Japan and the US.
According to Mr. Yulong, mask factories are working at 60-70% capacity.
In addition to Hubei, the province with more than 50 million people at the center of the pneumonia epidemic, a number of other provinces and cities across China also require wearing masks in public because of concerns about the virus spreading.
Hong Kong closes 10 border gates with the mainland
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam today announced the decision to close 10 out of 13 border gates with mainland China to control the spread of coronavirus.
The decision by Hong Kong leaders was made just a few hours after more than 2,500 employees of the Hong Kong Hospital Employees Alliance (HAEA) went on strike, calling for the closure of the border with China and the protection of good medical workers.
According to Ms. Lam, after four border gates were closed last week, the latest border gate closure order with China will contribute to reducing the number of people from the mainland coming to Hong Kong.
However, Hong Kong’s leaders still rejected the possibility of blocking the entire route connecting to mainland China because they believed this would be a `discriminatory, inappropriate and impractical` action.
Russia deports foreigners infected with corona virus
Regarding the risk of spreading the new corona virus, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishushin today announced that Russia will deport all foreigners who test positive for the corona virus.
Prime Minister Mishushin also said that the annual economic forum at the Sochi, Black Sea resort will be postponed.
Russia has taken many measures to control the spread of acute pneumonia caused by the corona virus such as closing borders and stopping flights and trains to China.
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According to SCMP, CNA
