A Total of 1.3 Mil. Test Kits Sent to Sao Paulo
South Korea has sent COVID-19 test kits to Brazil, according to a report by the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS).
A flight carrying the South Korean coronavirus test kits arrived in Brazil on April 18.
The flight arrived at Viracopos International Airport near Campinas City in Sao Paulo, carrying test kits that can be used for 574,000 tests, according to the KBS.
The shipment is the second batch of the Korean medical equipment purchased by the Sao Paulo state government via its affiliate research institute. The first batch for 726,000 tests was sent two weeks ago.
The purchase was arranged by the South Korean Consulate General in Brazil and the local branch office of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Corp. .
Brazil reported over 33,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 21,000 deaths.
Meanwhile, Iran has claimed that U.S. sanctions blocked imports of South Korean coronavirus test kits, according to a separate report by the KBS.
Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Kianush Jahanpur reportedly made the claim in a Twitter post on April 19, disclosing an international financial message recently sent by South Korea's Woori Bank to Iran's Keshavarzi Bank.
Jahanpur said that Woori Bank refused to take over an import letter of credit for 5.3 billion won issued by the Iranian bank, citing U.S. sanctions against Iran.
If Woori Bank refuses to take over the import letter of credit, it is impossible for Iran to import the kits because the Korean test kit exporter cannot receive payment.