Canada to soon get ventilators, masks, test kits from three Canadian companies

#Canada; #COVID19Pandemic; #CriticalMedicalSupplies; #CanadianCompanies

Ottawa, Mar 31 (Canadian-Media): It was announced today by Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that a deal has been signed with three Canadian companies — Thornhill Medical, Medicom and Spartan Bioscience — to make critical medical supplies, including ventilators, surgical masks, test kits and other items, media reports said.

Justin Trudeau. Image credit: Official website

Millions of masks and thousands of ventilators to cope with the country's rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases and is optimistic that they will be available in the coming weeks.

Trudeau said Ottawa also has signed letters of intent with five other companies — Precision Biomonitoring, Fluid Energy Group, Irving Oil, Calko Group and Stanfield's — for critical supplies like hand sanitizer, tests and gowns.

"The entire world is trying to get its hands on the various equipment needed to fight this virus. That is why we know that it will be important to have made-in-Canada solutions," he told reporters.

$2 billion is being allocated by the government, Trudeau said, to buy protective personal equipment in part through bulk purchases with the provinces and territories.

The federal government had announcement on March 20 its intention to provide monetary support to manufacturers to retool their assembly lines to make ventilators, masks and other personal protective gear to help those already making such products.

The response to this was met with close to 3,000 companies agreeing to offer their help.

It was also announced earlier this month, by International Trade Minister Mary Ng,  government's decision to temporarily eliminate tariffs and taxes on all goods imported by public health authorities.