Chinese President Xi Jinping expresses thanks to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for $100 million aid for tackling coronavirus
Chinese President Xi Jinping has written a letter expressing gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the organisation’s generosity and assistance for addressing a deadly virus outbreak, state media said on Saturday.
The outbreak of the new COVID-19 has claimed 2,345 lives in mainland China and has infected above 76,000 people, with cases in more than 25 nations.
Earlier, the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation gave up to $100 million for the gobal response to the epidemic.
"I deeply appreciate the act of generosity of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and your letter of solidarity to the Chinese people at such an important moment," President Xi wrote in the letter, according to official news agency Xinhua.
China is at a "critical moment" in the battle against the deadly pathogen, he said.
Several people remain in quarantine in central Hubei province, where the virus became apparent in December, despite the fact that new hotspots were found in several prisons and hospitals on Friday.
Close to 400 new cases were reported nationwide in China on Saturday.
"We have rallied the whole nation and adopted a string of unprecedented measures to contain and mitigate the epidemic and treat the sick," President Xi wrote.
"These extraordinary measures are delivering substantial results," he said.
The Gates Foundation stated that the funding will be put to use to boost rooting out, isolation and treatments efforts, which includes safeguarding at-risk population and developing vaccines and diagnostics.
The foundation further stated that it would send $20 million to organization like the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Protection, the National Health Commission of China and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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