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Russia to import 300 mln face masks from China in April-May — ministry

Earlier, almost 185 million masks purchased in China over the past two months were delivered to Russia as part of government purchases

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Russian will import about 300 mln face masks from China in April-May, Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Yevtukhov said on air of the Rossiya -24 television channel.

"A large number of masks have been imported from China. On average, taking into account all the suppliers, (and we carried out such an analysis), about 300 million masks will be imported in April-May," the deputy minister said.

Earlier, Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Alexey Gruzdev said that almost 185 million masks purchased in China over the past two months were delivered to Russia as part of government purchases, while companies and foundations acquired about 90 million masks for the regions of the Russian Federation.

According to the ministry, in April, about 138.5 million different types of masks were produced in Russia, and about 105 million masks were delivered from China. In general, up to 9 million masks per day are produced in Russia.

In an interview with the Rossiaya 24 TV channel, Yevtukhov also said that about 4 million masks are sold daily by Russian pharmacies, large retail chains and small retail stores.

To date, a total of 299,941 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 76,130 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 2,837 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.