Higgs 'comfortable' province will have supplies it needs to deal with COVID-19
Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon | CBC News | Posted: April 8, 2020 1:55 AM | Last Updated: April 8, 2020
Premier expects shipment of 295,000 surgical masks from U.S. to now come through
Premier Blaine Higgs says he feels "more and more comfortable" New Brunswick will have the medical supplies it needs to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, including surgical masks.
He made the comments Tuesday after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government is teaming up with a handful of Canadian companies to produce up to 30,000 ventilators.
Higgs said he supports the move to build up domestic supplies so Canada doesn't have to rely on other countries, such as the United States.
On Monday night, Higgs had expressed concerns that a shipment of 295,000 surgical masks New Brunswick was expecting from the United States was "on hold" after President Donald Trump ordered manufacturer 3M to prioritize orders for American use.
The company later announced it has struck a deal with the United States government to allow the export of N95 masks to Canada.
"Although it hasn't been confirmed to me yet, from that I would take that we will receive [the masks] as originally planned," Higgs told reporters on Tuesday.
"But even more so … it would appear that we would be able to achieve further deliveries, as required."
Higgs pointed out the masks might not come to New Brunswick.
Under an agreement between Trudeau and the other premiers, supplies will be directed where they're most needed at the time.
"We know the struggles that are happening in Quebec, we know what's happened in Ontario and B.C.," he said.
Still, with the country operating "more like one nation" than he's ever experienced before, Higgs said he isn't worried.
"We will have the supplies we need when we need them," he said. "I am feeling more and more comfortable every day about that scenario."