MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Friday, the City of Manchester accepted a gift of 10,500 surgical masks from one of its sister cities: Taichung, Taiwan.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of Boston Director-General Douglas Hsu were on hand at Manchester’s Central Fire Station on Merrimack Street for a brief ceremony after the masks were delivered.
Hsu noted that his office has also offered personal protective equipment to the states of New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and several hospitals in the Boston area. However, Friday’s ceremony marked the first time his office donated masks to a city.
“It’s an obligation to share with our friends around the world,” he said.
Craig was grateful for the donation and praised the Republic of China for their public health efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, citing their usage of masks as an example.
The usage of the masks will be determined by the Manchester Emergency Operations Center, but Craig believes they will likely become available for any Manchester residents in need of masks, as well as local business owners in need of masks as businesses re-open across the city.
A monetary value of the donated masks was not available on Friday.