A woman and a child collect free masks distributed by Hong Kong Coalition at Sheung Wan Cultural Square, Hong Kong, May 9, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG/CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - As promised, the newly established Hong Kong Coalition distributed 10 million face masks on Saturday to hundreds of thousands of underprivileged people and their families at some 500 locations in metro stations and shopping malls.

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The coalition was officially launched on Tuesday, co-sponsored by 1,545 representatives from various sectors of the Hong Kong society. Its stated mission is to unite the community and seek a way out of the current economic and social predicaments arising from the social unrest and coronavirus outbreak.

Six million adult face masks and 4 million children’s masks were distributed. The masks were handed out in about 20 minutes in some areas where long queues were seen

The coalition’s Secretary-General Tam Yiu-chung helped distributed masks at the Cultural Square in Sheung Wan.

Six million adult face masks and 4 million children’s masks were distributed. The masks were handed out in about 20 minutes in some areas where long queues were seen.

PHOTOS: Coalition distributes 10 million masks to residents

Demand for facial masks in the city has remained high as Hong Kong is gradually resuming economic and social activities while people are following medical experts’ recommendations for vigilance against the pandemic.

Steve Chan and Cecilia Lang got a pleasant surprise this morning when they took a stroll around their neighborhood in Sheung Wan. They each received a package of 10 face masks from a make-shift booth of the coalition.

Chan said he had heard about the organization and was in full support of its goal to unite the community to meet the myriad challenges. Such leadership is what Hong Kong needs, he said.

A 59-years-old resident who gave his surname as Hung said that the people of Hong Kong need some encouragement in this difficult time. He said he believed the alliance could inject the confidence needed to overcome the fallout of the epidemic.

Doris Hui, a mother of a 10-year-old son, said she was inspired to see a coalition that aims to promote solidarity in the community in this depressing time. She was delighted to see the community breaking out from the clutches of anxiety and fear to gradually return to normal, so that her son can go back to school on June 8.

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The son, Dylan, was also excited about meeting with his friends in school after being confined at home for nearly four months. The mother said she  believed the students would be well protected against infection as the school had sent several letters stressing the importance of good hygiene and promising to provide sufficient children masks.

Addressing the launch ceremony of the mask-distributing campaign, Tam said one of the coalition’s missions is to continue to support the government in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak. The alliance, he said, would join hands with the Hong Kong residents to fight against the epidemic and facilitate the return of normal social and economic activities so that “Hong Kong can restart”.

Tam said that the distribution of masks was the first territory-wide activity of the coalition. It was also expected to remind the public to stay vigilant and protect themselves from the infection. Tam praised the anti-epidemic measures in the city as “fruitful” for no locally transmitted case was reported for more than 10 days. He attributed the achievement to the leadership of the SAR government and the collaboration of the residents.

The key to the city’s recovery is “solidarity”, said Tam. He said that more than a thousand co-sponsors of the alliance were brought together by the shared belief that Hong Kong will remain as the land of promise. He said he hoped that the public would continue to support the work of the alliance and to draw on the wisdom of the general public in seeking solutions for Hong Kong.