(Yicai Global) Dec. 31 -- Chinese internet companies including Tencent Holdings and NetEase will donate millions of yuan to Xi’an, as the capital of Sha’anxi province battles the worst outbreak of Covid-19 to hit a Chinese city this year.

Tencent will give CNY20 million (USD3.1 million) to pay for items such as face masks and protective gowns, the Shenzhen-based firm said yesterday. The money will come from the CNY1.5 billion (USD235.3 million) special fund that the Tencent Charitable Foundation set up early last year to fight the pandemic.

NetEase announced a CNY10 million donation yesterday for basic goods including foodstuffs and heaters. Chinese handset giant Xiaomi and e-commerce titan Pinduoduo also said they will gift CNY10 million each to help the city combat the outbreak.

Xi’an reported 161 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases yesterday, topping 1,200 since the start of the latest outbreak on Dec. 9. No patient has died so far. Sha’anxi province had a total of 1,301 confirmed cases in the same period.

Sha’anxi’s finance department said on Dec. 28 that it had authorized the emergency use of a CNY100 million (USD15.7 million) reserve fund to reinforce the fight against Covid-19. Half of the money will go to universities in the province. Xi’an’s government also said the same day that it will mobilize the city to ensure supplies to residential areas in lockdown.

Editor: Futura Costaglione