S’ Korea’s COVID-19 test kits exported to UAE, Cheong Wa Dae

Kits
Seoul, March 17, 2020 (Yonhap/NAN) South Korea, on Tuesday sent 51,000 coronavirus test kits to the UAE in emergency exports, the country’s Cheong Wa Dae (presidency) said.
So far, 17 countries have formally requested the items from South Korea, amid the global attention being paid to the country’s rapid testing regime that is apparently behind a lower-than-average mortality rate.
According to a Cheong Wa Dae official, the UAE is the country South Korea can ship the kits to the fastest, as the move is part of important international cooperation on the pandemic.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said the test kit shipments signaled that South Korea was now undertaking an active role in helping foreign countries battle the pandemic, a change from its earlier inward-looking approach focusing on stemming domestic outbreaks.
“I believe it marks a turning point at which we are embracing a role in helping foreign countries fight the new coronavirus,” the official said.
The official stressed that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and manufacturers of the test kits repeatedly examined the shipments’ potential impact on domestic demand to ensure that the exports would not cause any local supply shortages.
“The UAE currently wants to secure more test kits.
“I understand that there are discussions between the UAE and local company officials on the possibility of a long-term contract for additional orders,” the official added.
The official added that foreign ministry was in support of the UAE’s efforts to secure test kits in consideration of the two countries’ special strategic partnership.
In recent time, a number of countries, mostly developing nations, issued calls to the ministry to help their efforts to purchase South Korean-made test kits or receive them free of charge under an official development assistance scheme.
“Various requests have come in and the foreign ministry hopes to help the countries.

“But the first and foremost consideration for us is that any shipments should not influence the domestic supply,” the official said.
South Korea has started to gain international recognition for its aggressive containment efforts, which have led to a decline in new infections and a low fatality rate.
The country’s COVID-19 caseload stands at 8,320 with 81 fatalities. (Yonhap/NAN)
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Edited by Yahaya Isah/Emmanuel Yashim