Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard
announced on April 7 that Mexico would receive a total of 20 flights carrying medical supplies purchased from China by the Mexican government to fight the coronavirus pandemic
The supplies, that come all the way from Shanghai , are aimed for the protection of healthcare workers at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and for treating patients infected with the new coronavirus.
Mexico has been receiving supplies two to three times a week. Ebrard said Mexico was able to purchase the equipment because President López Obrador proposed an open door policy to purchase medical equipment during the G20 summit.
The first shipment of KN95 masks and gloves purchased by the Mexican government arrived in the country on April 7 .
The flight was operated by Mexican airline Aeroméxico and flew Martha Delgado , the Deputy Secretary of Multilateral Affairs, under the Foreign Ministry, to China to oversee the operation.
The second flight carrying medical supplies to face the COVID-19 health emergency arrived in Mexico City on April 10 .
This time, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft from Aeroméxico, similar to the presidential airplane, arrived with more N95 masks, gloves, and ventilators, among other PPE items.
On April 18, a flight carrying at least 192,400 personal protective equipment items landed in Mexico City; this was the third shipment purchased by Mexico from China.
Zoé Robledo
, the head of the IMSS, was present when the airplane arrived and showed the PPE that will be given to healthcare workers who are fighting the novel coronavirus.
On April 19 , a fourth flight landed in Mexico. It carried 2, 916,000 surgical masks and 46,000 pairs of goggles .
The fifth shipment arrived on April 23 carrying 84,000 surgical masks, 13,400 pairs of goggles, and 120,000 face shields.
On April 26 , the sixth shipment from China arrived in Mexico. The arrival was broadcasted live and Cofepris workers verified the quality of the equipment.
On April 28 , the seventh shipment of medical supplies landed in Mexico City. Mexico’s consulate in Shanghai announced the plane had been loaded and that it would arrive at night.
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Mexico received the eighth shipment of medical supplies and equipment on May 3 . The AM9839 flight landed in Mexico City’s International Airport with 800,000 masks and 100,000 goggles at 20:55.
The material was inspected by Iris Domínguez, deputy director of authorization and verification of the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS).
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The supplies were delivered to officers of the National Defense Ministry (SEDENA) for their distribution according to the DN-IIIE Plan , that has been implemented since the beginning of the health emergency .
The ninth shipment arrived in Mexico on May 4 carrying 137,200 goggles for healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The AM 9839 flight arrived in Mexico City at 20:37 from Shanghai, China.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) announced that the purchase of the supplies included ventilators made in Switzerland which would arrive in May.
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The SRE added that 390 more ventilators will arrive by early June thanks to an agreement with the United States.
The tenth shipment with the first 48 ventilators for patients with COVID-19 arrived in Mexico on May 13 .
The Mexico-Shanghai airbridge flight also brought 13,800 goggles , 40,000 kits for sample transportation , and 200,000 masks that will be distributed among hospitals in Mexico.
Minister Marcelo Ebrard
and China’s ambassador in Mexico Zhu Qingqiao , as well as the deputy secretary of Multilateral Affairs from the SRE Martha Delgado Peralta , received the shipment at the former Presidential Hangar in Mexico City’s International Airport.
Ebrard stressed the relevance of these supplies during the most critical stage of the pandemic in Mexico and thanked “the People’s Republic of China and all those who have given us their support to purchase all the necessary [equipment].”
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On May 17 , Mexico received the 11th flight with medical supplies from China, including test kits, gloves, and fabric to produce masks, that will be distributed among healthcare workers.
The flight also brought 288 ventilators , 300,000 PCR tests , 500,000 gloves , and special fabric to make masks.
The aircraft arrived at 21:54 with 16 tons of medical supplies that were unloaded by SEDENA officers, who will distribute it throughout the country.
The 12th flight with medical supplies from China arrived in Mexico on May 22 .
This time, the flight brought 80 ventilators for intensive care and 3 million masks purchased by Mexico’s Health Institute for Well-Being (INSABI).
The 13th flight that brought medical supplies from China arrived in Mexico on May 24 .
The shipment included over 2 million face masks and other personal protective equipment purchased by the INSABI .
On May 29 , Mexico received the 14th out of 20 shipments of medical supplies purchased from China for the COVID-19 pandemic .
The flight brought 50 ventilators and over 1 million masks.
On June 1 , Mexico received the 15th flight with medical supplies thanks to the Mexico-Shanghai airbridge .
This time, the shipment brought almost 3 million masks .
Mexico received the 16th flight with medical supplies for healthcare workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The shipment included 2,024,000 masks purchased by the INSABI .
The 17th flight with medical supplies arrived in Mexico on June 7.
The shipment included 85 ventilators that will be distributed by the INSABI to fight the pandemic.
On June 16, Mexico received the 18th fligh t with medical supplies from China.
The shipment brought 65 ventilators and medical supplies purchased by the ISSSTE .
Moreover, this time the Mexico-Shanghai airbridge helped repatriate 54 Mexican citizens who were stranded abroad due to the pandemic.
The first cycle of flights with medical supplies Mexico bought from China to face the coronavirus pandemic concluded on June 18 as the 19th and 20th shipments arrived in the country.
The last two flights brought 195 ventilators for patients infected with COVID-19 purchased by the INSABI .
The SRE said the Mexico-Shanghai airbridge has been a success of Mexican diplomacy in support of the health sector and thus, 20 additional flights have been planned to tackle the pandemic.
The international airbridge brought a total of 1,228,000 gloves , 1,499,800 KN95 respirators , 16,393,000 face masks , 416,0400 goggles , 300,000 PCR tests , 40,000 kits for collecting and transporting tests, and 9 square meters of meltblown microfiber fabric to manufacture KN95 respirators.
China’s government donated medical supplies to Mexico for its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Aeroméxico flight from Shanghai that arrived in Mexico City borough 20,000 N95 respirator s for coronavirus frontline healthcare workers, and 100,000 2-layers face masks for healthcare workers in charge of other diseases.
The medical supplies included 2,000 infrared thermometers and 10,000 goggles . All the supplies were delivered to the ISSSTE .
The ISSSTE’s director, Luis Antonio Ramírez , said that the supplies will be useful to fight the new coronavirus disease and said that 112 ISSSTE hospitals have been reconverted and that there are 2,600 hospital beds to tend to people who contracted the disease, as well as 1,300 beds with ventilators .
China’s ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingnqiao
was in charge of the official delivery of the supplies. Moreover, he said his country is working both in the delivery of supplies and in an experience exchange regarding the virus.
Martha Delgado added that the 21sth flight Mexico received on June 25 is 100% a donation from China and that the SRE will launch a platform to report all the donations received by the Mexican government.
As of June 27 , Mexican authorities have reported 208,392 COVID-19-related deaths and 25,779 confirmed cases .
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