To help combat the COVID-19 epidemic, 17 tonnes of additional personal protective equipment has been transported to China by a French aircraft mobilised through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Commission announced on Thursday 20 February.
The shipment include masks, gloves, protective clothing, and disinfectant supplied by France, Estonia, and Latvia in response to the request made by China in early February (see EUROPE 12417/10). The plane will repatriate European citizens from Wuhan on its return flight.
Meanwhile, European citizens who were on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess, docked in Yokohama, were to be repatriated home from Japan by two Italian aircraft (see EUROPE 12429/12).
“We have helped to deliver more than 30 tonnes of equipment to China and we will continue this weekend”, said EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič, thanking the French and Italian authorities for their help in returning the equipment “safely”. The EU is providing co-financing for 75% of the cost of the flights.
When asked on Thursday about the number of citizens repatriated from Japan, the Commission was not in a position to respond. “We don't know yet. These people need to be medically assessed”, a Commission official told EUROPE. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)