Massive medical imports aid in struggle with virus

China imported 290 million yuan ($41.8 million) worth of epidemic prevention and control material in 16,139 batches between Jan 24 and 30 to win the battle against the novel coronavirus, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs.

The country imported 59.18 million items, including 56.23 million facial masks, 69,000 pairs of goggles, 738,000 pieces of protective clothing and 107,000 boxes of medicine, as well as 95,000 pieces of medical equipment, customs data showed.

The GAC has ordered "green passages" and special service windows to be opened at its Wuhan branch to accelerate the clearing process for medical donations from overseas.

In case of emergency, the GAC allows donated supplies to be cleared after simple filing work, and the rest of the procedures can be completed later in Wuhan.

The GAC and health authorities have also asked outbound and inbound travelers to report their health conditions to customs to curb cross-border spread of the coronavirus.