Coronavirus: Li Ka Shing Foundation to donate 250,000 masks to the needy and safety gear to public hospitals
- Masks will be given away through welfare organisations and homes for the elderly, while other protective gear will be distributed through Hospital Authority for medical workers
- The foundation thanked Dalhousie University in Canada for support, as some N95 respirators were also donated by the United Arab Emirates
Tycoon Li Ka-shing’s charity will distribute 250,000 masks to the needy in Hong Kong and other protective equipment to the city’s public hospitals amid a buying frenzy caused by the coronavirus outbreak, it was revealed on Monday.
A worldwide shortage of masks has resulted in local shoppers scrambling to procure the items in recent weeks, even as prices soared.
The Li Ka Shing Foundation said it would distribute the masks through 13 social welfare organisations and six homes for the elderly.
“The government is working hard to source for surgical masks and has announced the distribution of the safety gear among underprivileged communities,” it said in a statement.
“The foundation will follow the situation closely and is on standby for further action,” it said, adding that the global supply of the product was about to stabilise.
As of Monday afternoon, the number of those infected by the virus that causes the disease known as Covid-19 grew to 58 in the city. In mainland China, more than 70,000 people have been infected, with the death toll at 1,770.
