On August 6, Air Water announced that it donated a total of US$100 thousand (equivalent to about JPY11 million) to promote the Covid-19 Vaccination project in Ecuador where its group company Ecofroz S.A. has a production/sales base for the frozen vegetable business. The donation will be utilized to purchase syringes and needles.

The Ecuador government posted a target to complete its Covid-19 vaccination plan for 9 million people (half of the population) within 100 days from the inauguration of administration on May 24, and is now inviting co-operative donations from private companies at home and abroad through the vaccination promotion fund named Ecuador Fund Union which consists of two or more industry groups.

According to the statistics of Reuters, after the start of pandemic of Covid-19 the number of infected persons in Ecuador reached 493.767 and that of deaths is recorded to be 31,870 as of August 16.

On March 27, Air Water affiliated Ecofroz which was engaged in cultivation, freezing and selling of vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower in Ecuador. In the coronavirus crisis it has so far supported by sending infection preventing masks from Japan.

Regarding the donation at this time, Air Water comments, “We implemented the donation as a further in-depth support in the increasing trend of Covid-19 infected persons in Ecuador. This will contribute to people’s health and the maintenance of economic activities.”

The amount of US$100,000 was figured out as suited for the purchase of syringes and needles to satisfy a certain lot to meet the vaccination target of 9 million people.

As for the trend of Ecofroz’s business activity in the coronavirus crisis, they say that the export and food production are exempted from the restriction against coronavirus infection of Ecuador government and are not influenced to continue operation of the plants. Regarding the future, they said, “We intend to keep making efforts to help those who are affected by Covid-19 so that we can fulfill our social responsibility and mission as a company.”