LISBON -- A Chinese community residing in the Portuguese city of Vila do Conde on Monday donated 1,500 surgical masks to the city municipality, to boost the authorities' effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation was made by 24 young people of the Chinese community that resides in the city in the northern district of Porto, which is one of the largest Chinese communities in the country.

Zheng Jie, a representative of the Chinese donators, told Xinhua that she and other donators are parents of students of the Oporto International School (CLIP) and their children are also studying at the Confucius Institute in the CLIP.

The proposal to donate masks to help health professionals fight the pandemic received a warm response from those parents who want to show their solidarity with the Portuguese, she said.

The donations were received by Elisa Ferraz, mayor of Vila do Conde, and will be distributed to local health units.

The mayor expressed her thanks to "the great gesture of solidarity shown" by the Chinese community, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency.

Portugal recorded 23 deaths from COVID-19 and 2,060 people have been infected by Monday.