An Israeli worker stands outside the Dan Hotel in Jerusalem that was converted to receive coronavirus patients, March 19, 2020. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

JNS.org – The first in a convoy of 11 El Al planes carrying tons of critical medical equipment to Israel from China touched down at Ben Gurion International Airport on Monday morning, as the nation continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Israel’s Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that planes carrying 20 tons of vital medical supplies including 900,000 surgical masks, half a million protective suits, several ventilators and other equipment would touch down one after another over the course of the next several days, in a coordinated effort with Israel’s Foreign Ministry, El Al airlines and Israel Chemicals.

Due to an international run on coronavirus testing reagents, Israel has not been able to perform the 30,000 tests per day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for last week, but has still managed to continue testing on a smaller scale.

As of Monday, Israel’s coronavirus death toll stood at 51, with 8,611 confirmed cases of infection. So far, 585 people have recovered from the virus since the first official case was registered on February 2.