China has dispatched anti-epidemic expert team to help Saudi Arabia battle COVID-19: Zhao Lijian

Beijing: China has dispatched an anti-epidemic expert team to Saudi Arabia to help local authorities cope with the new coronavirus epidemic, a Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“To help Saudi Arabia cope with the new coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government decided to send an anti-epidemic medical expert team to Saudi Arabia. It set off this morning,” Zhao Lijian announced during his regular briefing held here.

He informed that the expert group was set up by the National Health Commission and selected by the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Health Commission.
The spokesperson said that after the outbreak of new coronavirus outbreak in China, the Saudi leaders expressed their condolences and support. The Saudi government and all walks of life had extended a helping hand and provided China with many batches of material assistance.

At present, Saudi Arabia was also facing severe challenges of the epidemic situation, he said and added, “China also firmly supports Saudi Arabia’s anti-epidemic efforts and is willing to provide assistance within its ability.”About the expert team, he informed that the Chinese experts in Saudi Arabia came from the fields of laboratory testing, prevention and control of infectious diseases, respiratory and critical illness, nursing, traditional Chinese medicine and other fields.
“They will share with China the experience of anti-epidemic disease and provide prevention and control and diagnosis and training guidance,” he added.
Zhao Lijian said that in addition, the expert group would provide the necessary anti-epidemic technical guidance, protective articles and Chinese medicine consultation services for the Chinese embassy in Saudi Arabia, personnel of Chinese-funded enterprises and the overseas Chinese.

“As a comprehensive strategic cooperative partner, China is willing to continue to work closely with Saudi Arabia to safeguard the safety and health of the people of the two countries and jointly defeat the common human enemy, the new coronavirus epidemic,” he added.

According to media reports, the Saudi Arabian government reported 435 new cases of coronavirus disease on Wednesday bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,369.

The total Covid-19 death toll in the Kingdom now stands at 73 after eight new fatalities were announced on April 14. The number of patients who had recovered, meanwhile, was now at 889.