Coronavirus: China sends doctors and equipment to Italy

Text by: RFI Follow

Faced with the dramatic situation in Italy which has reinforced its restrictive measures to slow the advance of the coronavirus, China will support Italian hospitals by sending a team of Chinese doctors who have faced the crisis to Wuhan.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Rome, Anne Le Nir

This solidarity initiative from China was confirmed by the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio. He announced that a team of five doctors, who fought the coronavirus in Wuhan, will arrive in Italy with a member of the Red Cross in the coming hours.

In a telephone exchange on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio of Beijing's support in the fight against the coronavirus, according to the official news agency Chine Nouvelle . " The Chinese people will never forget the precious support provided by Italy when China was going through the most difficult times in the fight against the virus, " said Wang Yi.

" As part of China's efforts to help Europe, 9 health professionals are on their way to Rome with intensive care facilities and other medical supplies for Italy, " said on his Twitter account of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

As part of China's effort to assist Europe, 9 health professionals are on their way to Rome with intensive care facilities & other medical supplies for Italy. pic.twitter.com/Eb0wIgHeax

Tens of thousands of respiratory protection masks and equipment for resuscitation units will be transported by cargo plane. They will be primarily intended for the overloaded hospitals of Lombardy which registers the greatest number of contaminated people.

Meanwhile, masks that cannot be found in pharmacies continue to be sold online at high prices. According to the Codacons consumer association, they have jumped 1,700%!

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

Download the app

• Italy
• China
• Coronavirus

On the same subject

Coronavirus: Italy closes all shops except for food and health

Coronavirus: Italy releases 25 billion euros to overcome the crisis

Coronavirus: race against time in Italy to stem the epidemic