Premier says first Ontario-produced masks are ready for use

Premier Doug Ford says the first batch of masks produced by an Ontario manufacturer is ready for use.

Ford visited The Woodbridge Group’s manufacturing facility in Vaughan Tuesday morning where the first 1,000 Level 3 masks have been produced.

“Woodbridge together with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association has been working at an unprecedented pace to retool their factories and get the required approvals to manufacture masks for our frontline line workers,” said Ford in a news release. “I was thrilled to see firsthand the fruition of their hard work and look forward to them ramping up production in the coming days to meet the demands of Ontario and soon other parts of the country.”

The company’s goal is to produce one million masks a week and have them certified as N95 masks to be used in all healthcare settings.

On Monday, Ford revealed the province was about a week away from running out of personal protective equipment after a shipment from the United States was held at the border.

“While our government continues to pursue and exhaust every avenue available to secure the PPE needed to fight COVID-19, today marks the beginning of Ontario moving towards greater self-sufficiency on vital supplies that will keep us well equipped now and into the future,” said Ford.

Ford went on to thank all Ontario-based companies who have “stepped up” to create products that will help protect frontline workers against COVID-19.