As businesses begin to gradually reopen, the Premier says the province will look to its COVID-19 Supply Hub to see if any personal protective equipment meant for the health sector can be diverted to the private businesses.
John Horgan made those comments when asked about plans in cities like Kamloops to try and see what can be done to help businesses reopen safely.
“More and more businesses as they look at restarting are looking at how they can use PPE to ensure their employees are safe, but more importantly, to demonstrate to their customers that they take these issues very seriously,” Horgan said.
“And that will require a significant amount of PPE, and we are looking at ways that we can support businesses as we do that.”
Speaking on The Jeff Andreas Show, Health Minister Adrian Dix says there is a role of non-medical masks outside the health care system, but says his ministry will not be a playing part in helping businesses obtain that equipment.
“A medical mask can play a role [in keeping people safe], but I don’t see us, in the Ministry of Health, supplying those in general to the population, medical masks, any time soon,” Dix said.
As the province allows some businesses to start opening up, there seems to be no shortage of questions, including here in Kamloops. Several businesses across Canada have indicated they are not in a position to observe the public health measures needed to operate in the post-pandemic era.
Chamber President Acacia Pangilinan says each industry has its own set of rules and their own set of questions, noting employee confidence remains the biggest question.
“We definitely don’t want to send the province into a form of whiplash by doing it too quickly and then having to shut down right away due to another outbreak,” she said, on the NL Morning News.
Dix says it remains a real challenge to procure personal protective equipment, particularly respirators, noting the health care system is going to continue to have to stockpile because COVID-19 is not going anywhere.
Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, on Thursday though noted that the use of masks, will only protect you if your contact with other people is minimal.
– with files from Jeff Andreas
