An Etihad Boeing 777 landed at Bogotá’s El Dorado airport on Wednesday evening carrying 13 metric tons of medical supplies to assist Colombia in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and which will benefit with PPE an estimated 10,000 healthcare professionals. “The delivery of aid by the UAE comes in furtherance of our nation’s belief in providing critical assistance where needed and demonstrating solidarity with those facing unprecedented challenges such as the one the world is now witnessing with COVID-19,” said UAE’s Ambassador to Colombia Salem Rashid Al Owais. The Ambassador also highlighted that “the people of the UAE stand with Colombia and all countries affected by COVID-19.”
According to Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Cancillería – the humanitarian flight that left Abu Dhabi for Bogotá repatriated 56 nationals who tested negative for coronavirus, among them Colombian cyclist Fernando Gaviria who was released two weeks ago from a hospital in the UAE. The UAE Team Emirates sprinter contracted the virus during the UAE Tour in February.
The medical donation by the UAE includes 15,000 overalls and protective suits, 15,000 medical gowns, 500,000 gloves, 30,000 shoe covers, 20,000 masks, 6,000 disinfectants and 10,000 rapid detection kits for COVID-19, among other items. The donation aims to strengthen the diagnostic capabilities of the laboratory of the University of Antioquia in Medellín with equipment similar to that used by medical researchers in Abu Dhabi.
On Thursday, Colombia’s Ministry of Health confirmed 274 new cases of coronavirus raising the national total to 2,054.
Bogotá saw an increase of 131 new cases putting the city’s total at 992. Five deaths were reported during the last 24-hours, also elevating the national total to 54.
The latest fatalities involve a 72-year old man in Bogotá, a 74-year old woman in Ciénaga de Oro (Córdoba), a 79-year old woman in Montenegro (Quindío), a 65-year old man in Santa Marta and 49-year old man in Barrancabermeja (Santander).
According to Thursday’s bulletin, 123 patients have recovered and 3022 COVID-19 tests were processed by the National Health Institute.
