More PPE supplies from China expected to arrive soon in Ireland

DUBLIN- The second batch of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered from China is expected to arrive in Ireland soon, the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported on Sunday, quoting an official.

Paul Reid, head of the Health Service Executive (HSE), a state agency responsible for public health service in Ireland, was quoted as saying at an HSE weekly briefing that the delivery of the second batch of PPE ordered by the Irish government from China had commenced on Saturday.

He said that HSE has asked Chinese suppliers to add more items into the second batch of PPE ordered by Ireland as part of its efforts to accelerate the supply of such equipment which is badly needed by the country to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second batch of the goods ordered was originally worth 67 million euros (about $73 million), but now is worth 130 million euros as more items have been added into it, said Reid.

The Irish government has ordered a total of 208 million euros worth of PPE from China, according to an earlier HSE announcement.

The first batch of PPE ordered from China, which is worth 31 million euros, has been fully distributed across the country, Reid added.

PPE ordered by Ireland from China include ventilators, emergency beds, surgical masks, gloves, gowns and eye shields, according to HSE.