MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Chinese community in Jamaica on Friday donated sanitation items worth $5 million to the Western Regional Health Authority as part of its contribution to the country’s COVID-19 fight.

The donation was made at the Beauty Queen warehouse in Montego Bay, St James.

Among the items in Friday’s donation were hand sanitisers, face masks, gloves, and napkins.

Yangsen Li, a member of the Chinese community, on handing over the items, noted that Jamaica is his home, and as such the Chinese community has come together to assist Jamaicans in this time of difficulty.

“This is our home, too, especially in this time of crisis in which people are losing their jobs. There is an increased need for food [and] personal items, so we have come together to support our Jamaican brothers and sisters,” said Yangsen.

The Chinese community has made several contributions across the island since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed on the island last month. Up to Saturday, the country had recorded 47 cases of COVID-19 with three deaths and seven recoveries.

“We hope to continue this effort as long as we can to ease whatever difficulty our Jamaican fellow face,” Yangsen stressed.

Chief executive officer of the Western Regional Health Authority, Errol Greene, in thanking the representatives from the Chinese community, said the items will be used all across the parishes of the region, which includes Trelawny, St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland.

He noted that they are needed in the carrying out of day-to-day activities in hospitals and health centres.

Greene also used the opportunity to thank corporate Jamaica for the tremendous support given to the health sector.

Following an appeal by Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton for the private sector to assist the Government in its efforts to fight the deadly virus, a raft of companies — including Sandals Resorts International, which has donated a 50-room hotel to be used for recovering patients — have lent a helping hand.

“We have received tremendous support from our partners in the hotel industry. We are the beneficiary of a 50-bed hotel, free of cost, to us. We have other offers from other hotels in the region. We have offers from the transport sector, we have offers from other businesses, we even have the ordinary Jamaicans sending the widow’s mite, in terms of them saying, ‘We don’t have millions to contribute, but take what we have.’ So today, I am very thankful to Mr Li for his generosity,” Greene stressed.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Montego Bay Homer Davis thanked the Chinese community, adding that he will be having discussions with them to see how best they can collaborate with the Church in a bid to provide assistance to the most vulnerable.

“You will see them take their trip to church Sunday mornings, but at the end of church some of them can barely find a meal. Some of them just can barely find the necessary toiletries, toothpaste, soap… so I am going to be speaking with the Chinese community to see how we can make a presentation to the Ministers’ Fraternal of St James, because we need to involve everyone in this thing,” Mayor Davis said.