‘It’s serious’ Ontario premier says masks, gloves at low supply

Premier Doug Ford says the province only has enough protective gear for healthcare workers for one more week after recent restrictions on shipments by the United States came into effect.

Ford says a shipment of nearly three million masks has been stopped at the border by United States officials. Of that order, about 500,000 masks may be released Monday and shipped across Ontario.

“We have been clear from the beginning that Ontario could not solely rely on global supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE),” said Ford in a news release. “In the meantime, we are desperately counting on the fulfillment of shipments that Ontario has placed through the federal government’s bulk purchasing program. As well, we are exhausting every possible option that is available to the province to acquire equipment from around the globe.”

The premier said the province is taking steps to ramp up Ontario-based manufacturing of critical person protective equipment.

Ford is also in talks with U.S officials to make the case for Canada to be exempted from the presidential order regarding exported PPE.

“These conversations have been progressing well and we are optimistic that the U.S. government will grant Canada an exemption,” he said.

On Monday, Ontario announced 309 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 4,347.

The total number includes 1,624 resolved cases and 132 deaths.