The donation was handed over through the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), USAID’s Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance project, Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Other forms of assistance given by the US are laboratories, risk communication surveillance as well as medical supplies such as protective gear and reagents," Retno said following a teleconference with foreign ministers from ASEAN countries and US Secretary of State Mark Pompeo on Thursday.

Overall, the US has donated a total of $35.3 million to help ASEAN countries handling the pandemic, she said as quoted by kompas.com.

Since COVID-19 started spreading to Southeast Asia in January, more than 33,000 people have been infected in the region, with 1,240 known fatalities in the affected countries.

Read also: ASEAN leaders support COVID-19 response fund

Indonesia recorded 7,775 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, as the archipelago continued to lead with the highest death toll from the disease among ASEAN countries with 647 fatalities.

The US, meanwhile, has recorded the largest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the world with more than 850,000 infections and more than 47,000 deaths.

Retno went on to say that Pompeo was looking forward to increasing collaboration between ASEAN and the US, both in addressing the COVID-19 health crisis and the post-pandemic economic crisis. (aly)