Education authority to distribute masks, hand sanitizers to tutoring centers

Some 3,750 facemasks and 7,000 units of hand sanitizer will be offered to 1,000 private tuition centers in response to permissions for service resumption, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau has announced.

The bureau stressed that it had not purchased the resources; they were donated by various local entities as an act of goodwill to support the government’s work against the Covid-19 outbreak.

In response to concerns over why the bureau is distributing these materials to private entities, the bureau explained that this was being done according to donors’ requests. In other words, the bureau had been advised to distribute the products to ensure that students can study in a safe and hygienic environment.

The materials will be distributed to formal schools, centers for private tuition and continuing education facilities.

Previously, the government had allowed a local pharmaceutical company to manufacture alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The products are now available in outlets across the city. As for facemasks, the Health Bureau has reiterated that it has been conducting worldwide procurement. It will endeavor to secure supplies for local residents.

However, the health authority stressed that it would not provide facemasks or sanitizer to private companies, which are required to source their own for their employees. AL