The Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that Egypt will provide China with 10 tons of preventive medical items and equipment to help deal with coronavirus outbreak.

The ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed detailed that the shipments are sent by a plane that will carry Egyptians returning home from China’s Wuhan, where a deadly coronavirus outbreak has originated and is now rapidly spreading across the world.

"Minister of Health Hala Zayed directed that this shipment be sent as part of Egypt’s support to the Chinese people given deeply-rooted and strong ties between both countries," Megahed said.

The spokesman explained that the equipment included necessary preventive items such as masks and alcoholic antiseptics.

He also assured that Egypt has sufficient strategic reserve of required preventive medical items and equipment under the adopted medical plan to face the virus.