By Thomas I. LIkness
EBC Edmonton Bureau
EDMONTON (Eagle News) — Alberta is sending medical supplies to three provinces to help them fight the COVID-19 pandemic, said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney Saturday.
The equipment will go to B-C, Ontario and Quebec, the provinces most impacted by the infection. It includes personal protective equipment and ventilators.
Kenney said Alberta will send N95 masks, procedural masks, gloves, goggles and ventilators to these provinces, while maintaining supply for its own health care system.
“We would not contribute if it in any way impaired our ability to provide for our own health care needs,” said Kenney. “I, for one, will not sit here with nine massive warehouses full if we see, a few days from now, our fellow Canadians overwhelmed in their health care system because of a shortage of supplies.”
Quebec currently has more than 11,670 cases and 241 deaths, Ontario has more than 6,640 cases and 253 deaths, and British Columbia has more than 1,400 cases and 55 deaths.
In total, Alberta is shipping 750,000 N95 masks, 4.75 million procedural masks as well as tens of thousands of goggles and gloves to the three provinces. Ontario also will receive 50 ventilators.
Shipments will begin next week. Kenney said Alberta is willing to provide more supplies to other provinces as the need arises and as supplies arrive in our province.
Alberta Health Services reported Saturday an additional 69 cases of COVID-19 in the province bringing the total to 1,569. One additional death has been reported, a woman in her 70s who was a resident of a Calgary seniors home. Total deaths since the outbreak began stands at 40.
Kenney said about half of the people who contracted the infection have recovered and the number of people hospitalized remains stable. But he stresses people must be cautious.
“I don’t want people to take this good news as a reason to relax their rigorous observance of the public health orders and the social distancing rules that we have put in place,” warned Kenney.
(Eagle News Service)