The Czech Republic is sending protective aid to Spain and Italy

Opocinek, East Bohemia, March 29 (CTK) – The Czech Republic has launched its aid to Spain and Italy, the European countries that are the most afflicted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, sending 20,000 protective suits from the police storage facility in Opocinek to them.

The shipment is halved, each country will get 10,000 pieces of single-use protective suits that Czechia received from China. They are certified, Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek (Social Democrats, CSSD) said today.

“The situation in both countries is critical. Any aid is not just a symbol of solidarity, but also of the effort to manage the situation jointly,” Petricek said.

Prague has also sent samples of the face masks made by the Czech Technical University (CVUT) in Prague with the aid of 3D print to Italy. They are transported by a Czech carrier’s lorry to Milan.

Besides, 90 half masks made by the Czech firm Nanologix were sent to Spain aboard a special plane heading for Madrid.

“This is the Czech government’s initiative… I am glad that the Interior Ministry has enough material that we can provide,” Petricek said, adding that the Czech Republic has enough protective suits, so Czech healthcare workers will not be short of them.

“This is probably the last shipment of this kind in the days to come,” Petricek said, but he did not rule out that the Czech Republic would secure some humanitarian aid to the countries in need in the future.

The authorities have registered more than 92,000 coronavirus infection cases in Italy where more than 10,000 people with COVID-19 have died. Italy has the highest coronavirus incidence in the world after the United States and the highest number of fatalities. Italy reported its first coronavirus case in late February.

The number of the coronavirus-infected in Spain has exceeded 72,000, while 5,690 died of COVID-19 until Saturday. Spain is the fourth worst hit country after the USA, Italy and China.