China cranks up protective equipment supplies to fight new coronavirus

BEIJING - China has been strengthening the provision of medical supplies to combat the viral pneumonia outbreak.

Shortage of medical supplies including goggles and masks was reported in Wuhan, the hardest-hit city of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in central China.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has transferred 14,000 protective suits and 110,000 pairs of gloves from the central medical reserves to Wuhan.

It also coordinated emergency supplies of 3 million masks, 100,000 protective suits and 2,180 pairs of goggles.

The production of masks has exceeded 8 million per day, said Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, adding that the ministry has coordinated medical supply manufacturers to increase market supply.

The Ministry of Transport has announced measures to prioritize transportation of emergency supplies and medical staff to aid control of the outbreak in Wuhan.

The Red Cross Society of China's Wuhan branch opened 24-hour hotlines to receive donated emergency stocks.

Personal protective equipment manufacturers are going full steam ahead in production.

Xinxiang Huaxi Sanitary Materials Co Ltd in central China's Henan province is producing 100,000 masks and 1,200 to 1,500 protective suits per day, according to the company's general manager Cui Wenbo. The products will be delivered to Wuhan and other cities.

National Health Commission announced Saturday that 1,287 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, including 237 in critical conditions, had been reported in the country by the end of Friday. Pneumonia caused by the virus has resulted in 41 deaths.