Turkey sends aid to Moldova to fight coronavirus

Turkey's state-run charity supplied medical aid to Moldova on Friday to help the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) delivered medical equipment at a ceremony held at the Moldova Interior Ministry that included Interior Minister Pavel Voiku and TIKA’s Kishenev Program Coordinator Selda Ozdenoglu who highlighted the importance of protecting medical and security staff during the fight.

She said TIKA delivered 10,000 masks, 10,000 pairs of gloves and 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of sanitizer and 250 face shields.

Aid was also sent to Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia which is home to a mostly Gagauz population -- an Orthodox Christian, Turkic community, she added.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 195,900 people, with total infections nearing 2.8 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University. An excess of 781,300 people have recovered.