Honolulu receives donated personal protective equipment from China

Boxes of masks donated by City of Fuzhou and Hawai‘i Fujian Business Association being accepted by the Emergency Services Department. (Photo courtesy City and County of Honolulu)

 

By Alfred Acenas
EBC Hawaii Bureau

HONOLULU (Eagle News) – The City and County of Honolulu accepted a delivery of 35,000 donated masks on Tuesday, June 23. This included 20,000 disposable masks donated by the City of Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China. Honolulu also received a shipment of purchased masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) from Fuzhou earlier this year.

The delivery, arranged by Jack Zhang of the Hawaii Fujian Business Association, will be used by Honolulu’s first responders in the Police Department, Fire Department, and Emergency Services Department.

An additional 5,000 masks were donated by the Hawaii Fujian Business Association’s Jack Zhang, and 10,000 masks by a group of several member establishments from the Fujian Business Association.

In February, the Hawaii Fujian Business Association delivered 100,000 masks and 2,500 pieces of protective clothing sourced from outside Hawaii to Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China to assist in the containment of the coronavirus. At that time, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell sent a letter to the Mayor of Fuzhou City pledging the support of the City and County of Honolulu and letting the Fuzhou City Mayor know the entire island of Oahu stands with the people of Fuzhou as they deal with the deadly outbreak of COVID-19.

“Benefits of these Friendship City relationships stretch beyond cultural connections,” said Caldwell. “We’ve seen opportunities created for exchanges of ideas and business, and now, in difficult times like these, an exchange of Aloha with our new friends in Fuzhou City, China. We thank them for their generous donation to our City’s first responders who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe during this pandemic.”

The Hawaii Fujian Business Association has been actively promoting the relationship between Honolulu and Fuzhou City through these acts of good will.

Earlier this year, Fuzhou and Honolulu signed a letter of intent to become Friendship Cities, the first step in promoting closer relations between the people of Honolulu and the City of Fuzhou.

(Eagle News Service)