B.C has secured millions of respirator masks originally purchased from a manufacturer in China after they were given a stamp of approval by Health Canada, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix.
These masks will now be made available for health workers currently fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press conference on Monday, Dix stated that tests from several different labs show that the respirators exceed Health Canada requirements and are also similar to the sought-after N95 masks made by 3M.
Dix also said that the province now has a stockpile of over three million masks, which puts B.C. in a good position to be able to resume elective surgeries.
The stockpile of masks could also aid in preparation for a potential second wave of the virus this fall.
Despite the recent acquisition of masks, the health minister says the province is still looking to increase its supply of other personal protective equipment items, including surgical masks, gowns and gloves.
“This is excellent news,” said Dix on Monday. “The new respirator has also passed fluid resistance testing conducted by independent laboratories and has had excellent results in terms of sample fit testing to confirm the respirators seal the faces of the majority of health-care workers.”
Dix also stated that there has been a valiant behind the scenes effort by health officials to test and acquire sources of personal protective equipment such as these, as its currently a difficult market.
He also announced that the Health Ministry has recently purchased a leading model filtration machine as well, which will be used to test the quality of personal protective equipment the province acquires.
