Premier Doug ford says Donald Trump’s border blockade of Personal Protection Equipment is straining supplies in Ontario. Friday equipment supplier 3M said a scheduled shipment of 3 million masks destined for Ontario was held up on orders from President Trump. But Ford said after weekend negotiations involving the US ambassador Leitheiser and Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, 500,000 were released. Prime Minister Trudeau said his office has been in touch with Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, terming the talks “positive and productive.” Ford told reporters he is pleased the masks are coming but after being disappointed in the past said “I will trust but verify.”
The Premier, appearing tired, said he was out on the weekend trying to find surgical gowns. “I don’t sleep thinking about this stuff,” he told a reporter. He said the gowns, along with level 2 surgical masks and N95 masks are the lowest stocks, with only a week’s supply in stock. He said the 500,000 masks would only buy another week. He mentioned that in Quebec, hospitals are sanitizing and reusing PPE equipment—a new practice that was suggested on the weekend by Canada’s Chief Public Health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.
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