Around 1000 face masks, donated by Beijing City University in China to the University of Warwick, will be given to NHS key workers across Warwickshire on the front line against COVID-19.
The University of Warwick community is now working to distribute these masks to social care services in North and South Warwickshire, via the NHS Incident Management Teams.
The face masks will be utilised in care homes, hospices, and district care services, where the current supply of personal protective equipment is very low.
Some of the masks will also be used to keep students and frontline workers who remain on the Warwick campus safe.
This weekend, the British Medical Association declared that all key workers should be given a face mask to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
This donation was made by Professor Liu Lin, President of Beijing City University — an institution with which WMG has a long-standing education partnership.
WMG has collaborated with Beijing City University since 2012 to deliver its Programme and Project Management Masters courses in China.
Professor Stuart Croft, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick, said:
"The Warwick community of students, staff, and partners stretches to every continent on the planet, and its heart is here in Coventry and Warwickshire. On behalf of this community, I thank Professor Liu Lin for the supply of face masks, which will enable us to help keep our neighbours safe and healthy in our region.
"Together, we are striving to beat this virus – and we will achieve this through co-operation across international borders, driving forward vital research, and supporting our local healthcare workers."
Margot James is the newly appointed Executive Chair of WMG at the University of Warwick. She commented:
"The struggle against this pandemic is global, and it is local. We will only succeed in the fight against COVID-19 by collaborating with our partners around the world, and by protecting key workers in our communities who are on the front line.
"We at WMG and the wider University of Warwick are very grateful for the generosity of Professor Liu Lin and our friends at Beijing City University — and we are proud to draw upon our established international links to support the health and welfare of our region, at a time when the need is greater than ever."
This is one of numerous ways in which the University of Warwick has worked with its Chinese partners to support the fight against COVID-19 in the UK.
Last week, it was announced that Professors from Warwick's Department of Engineering have been working with the Association of British Chinese Professors in raising funds to purchase personal protective equipment for ten UK hospitals.
They secured 2400 face masks for hospitals in London, as well as 3500 safety goggles and 7000 full face visors, which were donated to seven hospitals in London, Cambridge, Birmingham and Coventry.
