A 20-member delegation from Hangzhou poses for a photo on March 29 before leaving for Enshi, Hubei to aid in local poverty-relief efforts. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

A 20-member delegation from Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, took a plane to Enshi in Hubei province on March 29 to aid in local poverty relief efforts.

"The trip would have been made two months ago if it weren’t for the outbreak," said Zheng Ying, deputy governor of Xianfeng county in Enshi, adding that the delegation had been concerned about the wellbeing of local residents over the past two months.

The delegation is the first poverty-relief team from outside Hubei to be sent to Enshi since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Hangzhou will also dispatch 29 doctors and teachers to Enshi in the near future to aid in local poverty alleviation efforts.

Enshi is a mountainous area plagued with poverty. A number of coronavirus cases have been reported there.

On Jan 25, Yuhang district, Hangzhou donated five sets of ear thermometers imported from Germany to Enshi, and the Hangzhou poverty-relief team has donated 4 million yuan ($564,262) and 3.77 million yuan worth of medical supplies.

The supplies included 351,000 face masks, 184,000 gloves, 12,500 protective suits, 605 thermometers, 3,720 goggles, and 20 medical purifiers, disinfectants and sanitizers.

"With support from Hangzhou and Tianjin, the outbreak in Enshi has been brought under control," said Wu Huaiqing, deputy governor of Enshi.

Nearly 800,000 people form Enshi work as migrant workers in other provinces, and by the end of 2019, 5,986 people from Enshi were working for low incomes in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou sent six buses to Enshi on March 19 to retrieve migrant workers and transport them back to the city.

Hangzhou was also the first city in the country to recognize Enshi's health QR codes. People from Enshi who hold green heath codes can now travel to Hangzhou with no restrictions.

As of March 26, Hangzhou had sent five chartered trains and 286 buses to Enshi, bringing back 11,141 Hubei workers.

Hangzhou also helped Zhejiang companies in Enshi resume operations as soon as possible in order to provide jobs for local residents.

The Hangzhou poverty-relief team also coordinated with Hangzhou commerce departments to help sell local agricultural products, particularly tea.

The Hangzhou poverty-relief team has now helped sell nearly 100 million yuan in agricultural products for local farmers in Enshi.

Hangzhou donates medical supplies to Enshi to aid in the local fight against the coronavirus. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]