This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.The Canadian government is spending $2-billion on additional medical supplies to fight the coronavirus as businesses retool factories to help provide urgently needed diagnostic testing kits, ventilators and personal protective gear.
“This includes things like more masks and face shields, gowns, ventilators, test kits and swabs and hand sanitizer,” he said. Dr. Castellani said various governments have promised to increase the supply of PPE, but until it’s in the hands of health-care workers, it won’t make a difference. “Our big priority is obtaining personal protective equipment. … Every day we do a detailed inventory,” Mr. Legault said.“I want to be very clear, I want to tell the truth. With some equipment, we’ve got three to seven days’ worth. We have orders coming through in coming days and we are hopeful we will get through it.”Mr.
The company said it will take eight to 12 weeks to build up full capacity to produce the tests. It said it expects to start shipping already-booked orders in April.The new rapid testing technology being produced by Spartan Bioscience could help fill testing gaps, particularly in more remote and rural areas that don’t have easy access to hospital-based laboratories. Like other COVID-19 diagnostics, Spartan’s is a polymerase chain reaction test.
Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz said she said she believes Linamar can have production up and running to make Thornhill’s ventilators by late April or early May. “A lot of it will depend on the supply base.”
How much of that $2 billion is going to China? No doubt, Trudeau will also thank them.