Bangladesh receives 300,000 masks from Jack Ma Foundation

Bangladesh received 300,000 masks from Jack Ma Foundation scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport 2:30pm on Sunday, reports UNB.

After coronavirus testing kits, Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation sent 300,000 masks to Bangladesh which arrived in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.

Yan Hualong, deputy chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, among others, was present at the airport to hand over the masks to Bangladesh government officials.

Some 30,000 more coronavirus testing kits arrived from China as a donation to Bangladesh by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation on Friday.

Earlier, Jack Ma, co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, announced to help Bangladesh and some other Asian nations contain the spread of coronavirus.

Ma promised to donate emergency supplies, including masks, test kits, protective suits, plus ventilators and thermometers.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh received the second batch of medical logistics, including 10,000 testing kits, 10,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) and 1,000 infrared thermometers from China on Thursday afternoon.

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said Bangladesh, with the support from China and other countries, will be able to win against COVID-19 mentioning that China's support to Bangladesh on all fronts will continue.

"Be confident, Bangladesh. You will win," said the Ambassador assuring that if China can win, Bangladesh can also win this battle.

Local companies are also producing PPE and masks to address the needs.

Bangladesh announced its first coronavirus cases on March 8. It has so far confirmed 48 cases and five deaths.

Coronavirus, first reported in China in December last year, is affecting 199 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances.

It has infected 663,741 people globally and killed 30,880 of them so far -- a mortality rate of 18 percent, according to Worldometer. But 142,183 of the patients have recovered while 490,678 are undergoing treatment. Of them, 25,207 patients are in critical condition.