DUBLIN - A total of 40,000 face masks donated by China were handed over to two local hospitals in Ireland's second largest city Cork, local media reported on Sunday.

The Echo, a daily newspaper largely circulated in the southern part of Ireland, said on its website that the donated face masks were handed over to the two largest hospitals in Cork, namely Cork University Hospital and the Mercy University Hospital.

Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Mercy University Hospital, John Sheehan, Lord Mayor of Cork, said: "This donation, at our time of need, illustrates the depth of the relationship between Cork City and China."

"We are truly appreciative of this support and it once more underlines how challenges like COVID-19 can only be overcome by people working together," he said.

According to the report, the face masks donated include those from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Wenzhou, all located in China's eastern coastal region.

Further donations of personal protective equipment are expected to arrive in Cork from China in the coming weeks, said the report.