What’s new: A plane carrying important medical supplies to help fight the U.S. Covid-19 outbreak arrived in New York from China on Sunday, Reuters reported.
Cargo on the plane included gloves, gowns and masks for distribution in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — three of the country’s hardest hit states, as the U.S. battles an epidemic with more confirmed cases than any other country in the world.
Background: The flight was one of more than 20 arranged by Washington to bring much-needed supplies from destinations including China, Malaysia and Vietnam to the U.S. under “Project Airbridge,” a combined effort between the federal government and private healthcare distributors.
The airlift comes as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has come under fire for playing down the threat posed by the virus in the early stages.
China-U.S. relations have also been tense, with Trump previously referring to Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus” and some Chinese diplomats saying the virus could have been made by the U.S. military. But both sides have toned down their rhetoric recently as they focus on containing their own outbreaks.
Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full Reuters article in Chinese, click here.
Related: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Contracts Coronavirus
Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com; twitter: @youngchinabiz)
