EU budget supports EU healthcare workers with first batch of 1.5 million masks from 10 million purchased

Today, the Commission has announced the delivery of 1.5 million medical masks to be delivered to 17 Member States and the UK to protect healthcare workers against coronavirus, purchased thanks to the EU budget. This latest EU mask delivery is part of a new Commission funded purchase of 10 million masks via the Emergency Support Instrument for the healthcare sector, funded by the EU budget and managed directly by the Commission. The goal of the instrument is to mitigate the immediate consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and anticipate the needs related to the exit and recovery.

The masks will be delivered to Member States and regions in need in weekly instalments of 1.5 million masks over the coming six weeks.

These deliveries take place on top of the hundreds of thousands of masks already provided from the rescEU reserve of medical equipment in the past weeks, as well as assistance mobilised via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

An overview of the full European Commission action to support the EU healthcare sectors in its fight with the coronavirus is available online here.

Watch a video with the arrival of the masks at the Frankfurt airport here.