Big haul of protective gear arrives in Nova Scotia amid COVID-19 outbreak

Nova Scotia health officials are breathing a "collective sigh of relief" after the arrival of a large shipment of personal protective equipment this week which included 1.7 million surgical masks and an unspecified number of gowns and face shields.

"In today's volatile supply chain, we are never able to count a product until it is in our hands," says a notice posted by the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

The equipment arrived Monday at a COVID-19 warehouse where the total number of masks now tops two million.

Officials are trying to secure much more from suppliers that include Truro garment manufacturer Stanfield's Limited, which joined the Canadian COVID-19 supply chain earlier this month.

"Last week we added another 240,000 gowns to the Stanfield order and we are about to sign a deal for a sanitizer provider," the health authority said in an update.

"We ordered 200,000 gowns yesterday when an opportunity arose and we ordered another million masks today. We are working on a significant order for an N95 equivalent product."

N95 masks are more efficient at protecting wearers from particulates.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said Tuesday some of the equipment came from China and was part of a national procurement deal with the federal government.

"Putting that together this stock will actually take us into May and we're very confident that our supply line will be there," McNeil said.

Mindful of supply

Health-care workers in some facilities are being given two surgical masks per day.

Nova Scotia chief medical health officer Dr. Robert Strang said Tuesday if there are circumstances where a mask becomes "soiled or no longer effective in some other way, they are going to be provided a replacement."

After receiving its latest shipment, the health authority remains mindful about supply.

"While this is very encouraging news, we remind all staff and physicians to continue using the right PPE at the right time. This will help ensure your safety and maintain our supply of PPE throughout the pandemic," it said in its update.

PM: planes left China without shipments

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the challenges of securing protective equipment in his daily briefing on Tuesday.

He said a cargo plane from Canada and another from an unspecified province landed in China but because of delays and strict limits on aircraft time left without the intended shipment.

McNeil said he did not think the flight was chartered by Nova Scotia.

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