KLM's China partners donate masks to NL; Dutch prisoners start making more

KLM's partners in China - China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines - donated tens of thousands of medical masks to the Netherlands. A Xiamen Airlines plane landed at Schiphol on Wednesday morning with the first shipment of around 80 thousand masks and 50 thousand gloves, NOS reports.

KLM will give the protective equipment to Dutch healthcare institutions. "This donation thanks to KLM is helping all Dutch healthcare institutions at a crucial moment in the reception of Dutch patients," Ernst Kuipers, chairman of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, said to the broadcaster. "We are extremely grateful to these Chinese KLM partners."

A looming shortage of medical masks and other protective equipment is a major concern for hospitals throughout the Netherlands.

About 100 prisoners in Dordrecht, Nieuwegein, Nieuwersluis, Ter Apel and Sittard will start producing masks from Thursday, the Ministry of Justice and Security announced on Wednesday morning. They will make simple cotton masks. "We hope to be able to make about 50 thousand masks per week in this way. These are not only for own use, but we also expect to be able to help other social sectors with this," the Ministry said.