BRUSSELS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- In a heartfelt message published on its website on Friday, the Port of Antwerp in Belgium thanked China's COSCO Shipping Group for donating 20,000 face masks to Belgium, saying that "a drop of water in need shall be thanked with a fountain of deed."
The Port of Antwerp also emphasized that "Asia and Europe are far away from each other, but China and Belgium are linked together by vessels."
The port, which is responsible for 3.7 percent of all employment in Belgium, has called for international support to help the country contain the spread of COVID-19. COSCO Shipping Group has responded to this request and donated 20,000 face masks to Belgium. The shipment of boxes, each labelled "Stay Strong Belgium," arrived on March 26.
The masks will be distributed to medical staff, who have been on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis.
COSCO Shipping Group has also donated epidemic prevention materials, such as masks, medical gloves, protective clothing and goggles, to worst-hit countries, such as Italy and Greece.
As of Friday, Belgium has confirmed 69 new deaths and 1,049 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of fatalities to 289 and confirmed cases to 7,284.
