China will supply virus test kits, masks to Africa, Ramaphosa says

Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that China will supply millions of coronavirus test kits and masks to Africa to assist the continent fight the pandemic.

Africa has recorded 142,289 cases of coronavirus with 4,084 deaths according to data from the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention while dealing with shortages in equipments and medical supplies.

Ramaphosa held talks with China’s President Xi Jinping about securing medical supplies earlier in the week.

The South African president said in a briefing to reporters broadcast online on Sunday that, China will ship as many as 30 million test kits, 10,000 ventilators and 80 million masks.

“What we are now doing, is to set up a procurement platform, which we are going to launch next week, which will allow every country on the continent to be able to procure from a central place and benefit” from the Chinese shipments, Ramaphosa said.