ATHENS -- Approximately eight tons of medical supplies provided by the Chinese government to Greece after Athens' urgent request arrived on Saturday morning at Athens international airport on an Air China flight.

The aid consists of 550,000 masks and sets of protective gear, according to a release issued by the Chinese embassy in Greece.

Many other aid packages weighing around 10 tons, donated by Chinese enterprises and organizations, arrived on the same flight.

The supplies were collected and sent to Greece within eight days, at a time when China is still under immense pressure to contain the epidemic and medical materials are still in short supply, Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zhang Qiyue said at a handover ceremony with Greek Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias on the tarmac of Eleftherios Venizelos airport.

Greek State Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, Environment and Energy minister Kostis Hatzidakis and Alternate Foreign Minister on European Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis were also present at the event, according to a statement from the Greek Health Ministry.