The United States donates 10,000 face shields for medical personnel to combat COVID-19
June 19, 2020
As a key partner to El Salvador in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States government has donated 10,000 face shields to the Ministry of Health (MINSAL) and Presidential House (CAPRES). The donation, which was provided by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) was delivered by acting Senior Defense Official / Defense Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Joel Bolina, and was received by the Presidential Commissioner for Strategic Projects, Luis Rodríguez.
This $30,000 donation from the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, through SOUTHCOM’s Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), will be distributed by MINSAL to personnel on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. This donation is in addition to a HAP donation of 35,000 surgical masks for MINSAL and CAPRES made last week, also valued at $30,000.
The United States has been a strong ally and reliable partner of El Salvador for decades. For more than 50 years, the U.S. Southern Command has focused its efforts on developing ties and strengthening this partnership with El Salvador, which has included a wide variety of humanitarian projects. Now these efforts are focused on confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, a global priority.
Since the beginning of the emergency, the United States has donated nearly $72 million to address the COVID-19 pandemic, improve security, strengthen the Salvadoran economy, and support the fight against irregular migration to the United States.