Pretoria, April 23 (RHC)-- South Africa made the delivery of a donation of supplies to combat the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus in Cuba, an action that is part of the close political and historical relations between the two nations.

According to diplomatic sources, the donation includes means of protection and materials and supplies for Cuban health facilities, such as masks, gloves, infrared thermometers and covers for hospital beds, among others.

The symbolic delivery of the aircraft that will now take it to Cuba was made by General Lindile Yam, Chief of Staff of the South African Armed Forces, to the island's Ambassador to the African country, Rodolfo Benitez Verson.

On the occasion, after highlighting the ties of blood and sisterhood that characterize the relations between Cuba and South Africa, Yam said that for the South African people and government what they send to the island is not a donation, but a modest gesture to brothers and sisters, with which they try to reciprocate, at least in part, what Cuba does every day, sending doctors to save lives around the world.

The South African general also thanked the Cuban government for its decision to respond positively to the request made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to send a large medical brigade to assist in the containment of COVID-19.  "Those Cuban doctors, who will soon be with us, will save the lives of many South Africans," he emphasized.

According to the agreement between the parties, the same aircraft that carries the donation to Cuba will return this weekend to South Africa with a Medical Brigade of more than 200 Cuban health professionals from the Henry Reeve Contingent.  They will join the more than 200 doctors who are currently providing medical services in this country.

To date, South Africa has accumulated 3,635 positive cases of COVID-19, as well as 65 deaths.

So far, 1,218 Cuban health professionals, integrated into 20 medical brigades, have left for 19 nations in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East, to help contain the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

The renewed Intergovernmental Collaborative Agreement on Health between South Africa and Cuba entered into force on the 17th of this month for an additional five years.