Magen David Adom responds to the request by Chabad for protective gear for communities in China amid the coronavirus outbreak, February 2020. Photo: Courtesy.

JNS.org – A shipment of medical supplies from Magen David Adom in Israel were delivered on Monday morning to Chabad in China to help prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

At the request of Chabad, Magen David Adom sent in 2,000 face masks and 200 full-body protection kits. The latter includes special suits and masks, along with covers for shoes, hats and glasses in the event of contact with a person who may be sick.

“Magen David Adom, as Israel’s national EMS organization and the country’s largest humanitarian organization, immediately responded to Chabad’s request in China to help deal with the spread of the coronavirus in their country. MDA stands alongside the Israelis who are around the world and always ready to help,” said MDA Director General Eli Bin in a statement.

The virus, 2019-nCov—more widely known as the novel coronavirus, which has caused the deaths of more than 360 people and sickened more than 17,000 across 25 countries as of Monday—has led to an unprecedented level of restriction on travel to and from China, the world’s largest country and second-largest economy. The World Health Organization listed the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on Jan. 30.

Chabad, which runs centers in 12 cities in China, requested protective gear as they continue to operate in that country.

“I thank the MDA director general and his representatives for their prompt help and response,” said Rabbi Eliyahu Rosenberg, a Chabad emissary in Guangzhou, a port city northwest of Hong Kong. “From the moment the call was made to MDA, the treatment and responsiveness were extremely fast.”

Rosenberg said the materials will be distributed to Chabad centers, Jews and Israelis in China, along with “the Chinese people who are so helpful and supportive of us.”

Magen David Adom was not the only Jewish agency responding to calls for assistance. The non-governmental organization IsraAid was sending a shipment of medical supplies to China on Monday, when the last flight from Tel Aviv to China flies before a travel ban from China goes into effect. The supplies were donated in conjunction with Israel-China Chamber of Commerce, Innovation, David Ashkenazi of ICCB Capital.

“We are all very concerned about the spread of coronavirus, and we are grateful for all the courageous work done by Chinese medical teams,” said IsraAid CEO Yotam Polizer in a statement. “It’s important for us to do our part by sending relief supplies and sharing our expertise in the field of stress management and trauma reduction.”