GREECE GETS 500,000 MASKS FROM CHINA
Athens, March 21: A plane from China carrying 500,000 masks to help Greece combat the coronavirus outbreak landed at Athens International Airport on Saturday.
Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias was among those at the airport to receive the load which was donated by the Chinese public electricity company State Grid and Greek electricity supplier Admie, in which the Chinese firm holds a 25 percent stake.
The load consisted mainly of
FFP2 masks which will be distributed principally to hospitals, airport officials said.
Beijing and Athens have been building important commercial relationships for over a decade, especially after the sale of most of the terminals in the port of Piraeus (near Athens) to the Chinese shipping giant Cosco.
With its health system suffering from chronic problems and its economy still creaking after a long-running debt crisis, Greece is facing a shortage of medical equipment, especially masks.
Covid-19 has killed ten people in the country in the past nine days while 495 cases have been recorded, with screening tests being mainly carried out on those suspected of carrying the virus.
After the first death, on March 12, the government adopted strict measures to limit unnecessary movement, ranging from the closure of educational establishments, parks and entertainment facilities to the banning of gatherings of more than 10 people. —
Ouagadougou, March 21: Africa’s cases of the coronavirus rose above 1,000 on Saturday while two heads of state appeared to defy their own travel restrictions to attend another president’s inauguration.
Angola announced its first cases, meaning at least 40 of africa’s 54 countries are now affected. Congo reported its first death; Burkina Faso reported two new ones. Somalia said it’s lifting its ban on international flights for two days so stranded citizens can come home.
And Ethiopia’s electoral authorities discussed the virus’ effect on a major national election later this year. Angola closed its air, land and sea borders this week, but Namibian media showed President Joao Lourenco at the inauguration of Namibian President Hage Geingob.
Also in attendance was President Mokgweetsi Masisi of neighboring Botswana, which this week suspended international travel by all government employees. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa also was there.
He announced a national disaster even before his country confirmed its first virus case on Friday. On Saturday, his country announced the first case in the capital, Harare. Burkina Faso now has the most virus deaths of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.
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