Tons of medical gear, medicine and N95 masks are being flown into Miami International Airport each week to help in the fight against COVID-19.
The items are flown in on Turkish Cargo planes, according to Emir Pineda, logistics manager for Miami Dade Aviation Department.
The amount of supplies have increased as the pandemic spread.
“They started in January with about 16 tons of medical equipment, and in the month of April, that grew to about 200 tons of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals for this community,” Pineda said.
Most of the gear is used in South Florida, but some of it is shipped to nearby countries in need.
“Some of this medical equipment does end up in Latin America and some of the countries that are going through the pandemic down there,” Pineda said.
Turkish Cargo operations have gone up 40% as they move critical supplies.
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“We know the importance of this medical equipment in this community, and we are trying to give the first priority for all medical equipment and pharmaceuticals,” said Oguzhan Cerrah, Cargo Director for Central and South America for Turkish Cargo.
With more than 33,000 positive COVID-19 cases and more than 1,200 deaths in the state, Pineda says shipments will be coming for a significant amount of time.
“Even as things start opening up, we believe there’s still going to be demand for medical equipment, for the masks,” Pineda said. “It’s gonna be the new normal even as things open up somewhat.”
