Oshawa gets a hand from Chinese sister city

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

Oshawa has received 30,000 masks from it’s Chinese sister city, the Wuxi Xinwu District.

City staff will use the masks, as well as 500 gowns, and some will be donated to community partner organizations in need, according to a press release from the city.

To get the protective equipment to Oshawa, the city worked alongside the Durham Chinese Canadians Cultural Centre, PiVAL International, the Canada Wuxi Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Wuxi.

Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter says he is thrilled for the city to receive the masks and gowns.

“We have a very strong Chinese community in the City of Oshawa… [Wuxi was] just trying to provide what they could [to help],” he says.

The mayor says the difference is the masks are for consumer use, not medical use.

“This was just them trying to make sure that the sister city of the City of Oshawa knew that Wuxi was standing with us, and they wanted to try and help in any way they could,” says Carter.

He notes Oshawa’s Chinese sister city understands that Canada has different regulations in regards to mask use.

“If it was to be used in our healthcare facilities, they have to meet the Canadian standards, and I don’t believe they understand the Canadian standards when it’s to be utilized in our hospitals and our healthcare facilities,” he explains.

This all came about when a group of business leaders in Oshawa which have connections with Wuxi saw there was a need for the masks and gowns in Oshawa.

The companies understood these would be for consumers, and were trying to reach out to their contacts in Wuxi to ask for help in Oshawa, explains Carter.